While we have been on this journey...

We have been able to do many things...
Here are just a few!
A late-winter trip to a cabin

Our family trip to Cincinnati Zoo for Faith's birthday in July.

Ron, please forgive me... but, I just had to do it! HA!

I know... it is pathetically late, but here are some pictures from Youth Camp

Dark or light... here are some pictures from the Baby Hope's Dedication

Shame on me...

Why did I share "my opinion" without giving the Scriptural reasons? Not sure. So allow me to share some Scripture for my friends who disagree about the abortion subject. I should not have ranted and raved without giving you the foundation for what I believe. You might want to grab a Bible.

I believe in the Bible as inspired by God (II Timothy 3:16-17). I believe that God created the universe (Genesis 1), that man was created in His image, and that the first people sinned against God (read the first few chapters of Genesis, it will give you a great foundation). From then on, all have sinned (Romans 3:23). Sin separates us from a holy God, and the penalty is death and Hell (Romans 6:23). Jesus, God's Son, payed the price for our sins (John 3:16). If we repent, believe in Christ, and accept God's gift, Jesus, then we can be forgiven and we can live right before God (check out I John 1:9). That is just a little summary of what we believe as Christians.

We live in a day when people believe there are no absolutes... especially no absolute right and wrongs... that whatever works for you is fine. The Bible teaches otherwise. God is absolute... He is what is Good. What He says is right, is. What is an abomination to Him, is utterly evil. There is only one way to Heaven, and that is through Jesus (John 14:6). So, it is not a matter of my opinion whether or not it is right to kill a baby... it is actually wrong. Here is why I believe that...

(If you need a Bible, email me... theroncookfamily@yahoo.com, and I will see what I can do... If you have one and have trouble looking up these references, look at the front of your Bible, and you should be able to find a list of the Books of the Bible, and what page each starts on. I would type out all of the Scriptures for you, but it would take a long time, and I need to tend to my children.)

Psalm 139:13-18
Luke 18:16
Matthew 18:1-6
Exodus 20:13

If anyone has any other Scriptures to add to help those who don't understand the importance of children to God even before birth, please feel free to comment.

Also, I did leave a comment about same-sex marriage, and I thought I would give you some Scripture for that as well.

I would encourage you to read the first chapter of Romans
I Corinthians 6:9-11 (Don't know what version of the Bible you have, but you should look up the meaning of those words, if you don't understand... it is VERY clear!!!)
Check out Genesis 19, about Sodom.
For those who are struggling with this, there is hope in Christ... Check out that 11th verse in I Corinthians 6.
Let me also point out that all Scriptures teaching about marriage, how it is supposed to be, always teaches one MAN and one WOMAN, and Jesus said it is for life! There is sooo much Scripture on that, it would take a while for me to get them all typed... but, if you request it, I will try to give you several.

I am all about freedom... but, true freedom is found only when one is set free from sin's traps, and that is through Christ. Freedom is giving that baby a chance to live and freedom is giving people hope, love, and acceptance. If you are pregnant and feel you cannot care for your child, there are organizations and churches waiting to help you... with prayer, councilling, assistance on raising your child, or perhaps, even adoption.
If you have already had abortions, there are organizations and churches waiting to help you, too. Athough they may not be able to fix the physical damage or maybe even all of the emotional damage you will suffer, they can help... then, of course, there is Jesus... He cares about what you are going through, and He is definitely waiting for you to come to Him... He can help you more than anyone. There is HOPE!

Thanks again for your comments!!! You've given me an opportunity to explain why I believe this. To be quite honest, there was a day that perhaps I believed like you do... I went to public school from kindergarten through 12th grade, and got "brainwashed" into all sorts of strange beliefs... It has taken a very long time to cut loose those ideas and thoughts that were totally unBiblical. That is one reason I really do not want my children in public schools... well, that and MANY other reasons, which may need to be a post for a later time. I know of some people I respect very highly who send their children to public schools, so I am not de-moralizing those who do, but I do find it to be quite risky!

Receiving the highest honor...

I want to say "thank you" to Martha Brugger and her sister for taking Faith and Charity to the zoo on Monday while Ron went through testing and meeting people who will be involved with his transplant. Thank you, Mom Cook, for playing with the girls and cleaning my house today as we were in Columbus again getting more testing and educational classes. The worse part of the whole ordeal was the bone marrow biopsy which they had to try three times to get the specimen they wanted... OUCH! I got to watch!

I received the highest praise when Sister Brugger and her sister told me that my children were so well behaved and very obedient... they sang happily "Jesus Loves Me" and "I Love You." That is my little girls! I am sooo proud of them!

Thanks for praying!

Life's about to get crazy!

Without going into detail, I will say that we went to Columbus on Tuesday, and the next couple of months are going to be interesting! I will plan to update you on what is going occasionally, as I have a chance. I am tired just thinking about everything!

Somehow, I mustered up enough energy to rearrange some more in my house. My baby does not sleep through the night yet, and she is definitely old enough to start, so I am making adjustments in my home to see if my plan will work. I like to rearrange things anyway... gives a fresh perspective, I guess. But, I like to be the one to do it... I am pretty touchy when someone else tries to rearrange my house... especially if the one rearranging my house is under the age of 5... HA!

Just thought I would throw in a political opinion... I have been getting rather frustrated at the thought of how many people are voting for a man who supports the murdering of innocent lives!!! I get so disturbed, almost to tears, when I walk to the dollar store and I have to pass by an abortion clinic... I want to run after those pregnant women going in there (who, I was told, may have their babies killed up to 5 months of pregnacy), and plead with them to spare their little one... to let the little one live! I have heard about the beliefs of Barack Obama, and I fear for the lives of many little children! Don't people realize that this pagan, evil practice is something to fear more than even a money crisis! Ron has occasionally gone early in the morning for a walk around the abortion clinic to pray that God would intervene! It is heart-breaking! There is this precious woman whom I have seen standing MANY times on the sidewalk by the abortion clinic, and she is trying to help the women going in, to realize that there is hope... that they don't need to destroy their child. Ron and I have both talked with her on different occasions, and expressed how grateful we are for what she is doing. I have even thought about joining her. I thought that once people saw how cute my kids were, although bounding with energy, and if they could have a conversation with Faith, they would probably change their minds about hurting their child... sometimes my children are so funny, they can even make me laugh when I feel angry! I beg all of you to consider what is at stake as you vote in a few weeks! Why is it that people are so interested in saving bugs, trees, and animals, but they can throw away a new human life like some wart! Why is it that some people LONG to have a child, and try many times, and never have the children they so desparately want, but some other ungrateful, self-centered person, who cares more about "burdens" or "what people might think of them" wind up getting pregnant over and over and snuff the life out of each child because it is not convenient for them to care for them... or, like one lady I visited while I was doing jail ministry told me... the doctors lied to her and told her that it was just a piece of tissue... she wept as the truth finally struck her... she had had three abortions... three children gone, and the mother left to deal with the emotional trauma. I did feel sorry for her, as suddenly, her eyes were opened, and her heart was broken, and she wanted forgiveness, I could only comfort her by telling her that God could forgive her, and that she could now tell others the truth.

Anyway, I had better get off my soapbox, and check on my children who are supposed to be taking a nap and are not... I think they are having their own little party in their room.

What would you do?

Been doing some thinking lately...

Here is something to think about...

What would you do differently, if you knew that, say... hmmm, at 4:13pm tonight, Jesus would be returning to take with Him those who believe in Him, have repented of their sins, and were following Him? Would you still do what was on your schedule for today? Of course, no one knows when He is returning... but, listening to the news and just looking at all of the pain around us, makes me wonder if it could be anytime.

I think that if I knew that Jesus was coming tonight... I would have to post it on my blog, email everyone on my mailing list, call everyone I knew... maybe even some I didn't know, hand out as many tracts as I possibly could, go door-to-door witnessing (maybe I would try to get a team together to reach more people), and witness on the streets! I would check with each of my immediate family and examine my own heart to be sure that nothing was causing a problem with our relationship with God. I would also call other family members to warn them if I wasn't sure where they stood in their relationship with God. That would be alot to accomplish in just a few hours, but I would have to give it a shot!

Sounds exciting, huh? It should be. Jesus' return is exciting... for those who are ready, that is! I mean, wouldn't it be nice to be with Jesus forever, no more pain, tears, no disappointments, no rejections, no sickness, no lies, no crimes, no financial crises, no wicked leaders, no killing of millions of little babies, no monstrous storms, no terrorists, no abuse, and no starvation. Heaven is a place to be excited about. There is no financial problem there... the very streets are gold... jewels are everywhere, gorgeous mansions, everything lovely! Most of all, Jesus is there! Strange that so many people turn away this opportunity... after all, it has been paid in full... what are they waiting for?!

Missions Convention starts tonight at our church... HURRAY! As a "missionary" myself (Ron and I have the call... but, right now, our mission field is here for obvious reasons), I just LOVE Missions Convention! Okay, to be honest, I get a little jealous about the missionaries... I mean, there is no more exciting job in the whole world than leading people to Christ! I especially LOVE seeing my own children falling in love with Jesus! I am really looking forward to the day when I see certain people on my "high priority" list, give their lives to Christ!

Yesterday, I actually took time to write practically every teenager in our youth group... that was alot of work, but I hope it encourages them. I sooo want to see them get right with God, and follow His plan.

Yes, I still have my day to day jobs to do... cook, clean, homeschooling, potty-train, bathe, feed, and dress children, encourage my hubby, nurse baby, even exercise, etc., but it is fun to do some outreach when possible!

Prayer request: My 94 year old neighbor, whom my children dearly love, has been in the hospital... Pray that she will believe in Jesus as the Son of God, and that she will repent and give her life to Him before she dies. I have tried to witness to her by talking to her about God and doing a few things to help and encourage her. She is a dear lady, and one who is on my priority list!

Let us not be ashamed of the Gospel!

Contradictions

Do you ever contradict yourself?



Contradiction #1: Here I have been exercising and taking vitamins, etc., so that I can be healthier and loose the weight that I have quickly gained in the past few years. I am sore today, but proud of my hard work. I made veggie soup for lunch (a favorite of my husband), but then... I made fudge! Why do I do these things? I know that I can hardly control myself around my homemade cookies, bread, and especially fudge! It is torture to try... so I gave in and it was very yummy! Now, I need to do about 100 sit-ups!



Contradiction #2: I have been trying to potty train Charity off and on for a long time. She generally does fairly well as long as she wears her little Dora panties, but if I put a pull-up on her, then she goes in it like a diaper... but, of course, I don't want to deal with a mess if we are out, etc., so back on goes the pull-up... why? Because, I have been too lazy to make the 1001 trips with her to the potty when we are out... but, she is ready to be potty-trained; afterall, she is almost 2 1/2! So, I am trying to make a new commitment to stay as much away from the pull-ups as possible!



Contradiction #3: I KNOW that consistancy is the best teacher! But, with homeschooling Faithy, I have slacked because of the stress. Sooo... in the past couple of days... we have crammed several lessons to get caught up... poor Faith! She has had to learn her letter E and A, the short sound they make, how to write little e and a in cursive, the pictures that go with them, the e Scripture verse, practice staying in lines while coloring, all in just two days time. After my constant correction of her getting out of lines with coloring, Faith said something like, "Mommy, sometimes little kids color out of the lines." Thanks, Faith, for the reminder, but I still expect your to look at you paper while you are coloring! She is too funny! She actually is doing fantastic with coloring and with her other work... I just like to keep a little pressure on her to do her best.



Uh oh... I think Hope is playing in the potty...

Okay, I am back and holding the baby while pecking out my post... yes, I washed her hands! She has been getting into everything, and it seems that I am constantly plucking something out of her mouth! The other day, I found a tack from my rocking chair in her mouth!!! Talk about scary! Maybe I need to check that chair to see if any other tacks are falling out!

Contradiction #4: I ought to be doing housework and making sure my older two children are getting their naps... instead, I am posting on my blog! Well, I am tired of contadicting myself...
SO... GOODBYE!

BENIGN!

Got a call before 8am from my doctor, stating that the nodule on my thyroid is BENIGN!!! Praise God!!! The plan is to give me thyriod medication to shrink it so that I can be more comfortable (the swallowing problem is getting a little old, and the lump is a little uncomfortable even when I am not eating now). I am sooo happy that it is benign!!! Thank you all for praying for us!
I feel sooo full of praise right now! I have electricity and the biopsy shows no signs of cancer... and, Ron seems to be doing very well with his chemo. He has a CAT scan later this week. Here is a prayer request... would you pray that they can use Ron's own stem cells when he goes for the transplant rather than needing them from a donor bank... I think it will make his stay in the hospital shorter... three weeks will be long enough to me! Thanks!
Have a happy day! I am!

POWER!!!

Finally!!! Hurray!!! Hop... jump... skip! During that "hurricane in Ohio" last Sunday, our area got slammed with fallen trees, uprooted trees, torn shingles, just a horrible mess here! But, we were blessed not not have damage to our home (as far as I know), but our electric was out for nearly a week!!! I like candles, but this was pushing my limits! I had to hand wash all of my laundry and hang them outside... now that caused great pains in my arms as I have alot of laundry with three children! Our grill was our stove, but we did have to eat out several times, and we had our share of dry cereal! Our refrigerator and freezer foods are lost... whine, whine... I know that hundreds of thousands of people were without power, too, so I am not alone in this complaint! I survived the week of living like Little House on the Praire. I was very happy one day when a kind person hooked my house up to a generator for a few hours (at least part of the house worked), and I got to vacuum, use my microwave, make coffee, use the computer, and turn on the dishwasher... I made great use of perhaps 4 hours of limited electricity.
We went to a family reunion today, and we loved visiting with family, checking out my cousin's many animals, huge house, farm, barn, pond, and the cool horse and buggy ride (talk about Little House on the Praire!). This was the first time I had ever seen her place... it was incredible! I think they own like 85 acres of land, and I believe her and her husband each run their own businesses! They had chickens, geese, swans, horses, cows, dogs, at least one cat, rabbits, a turkey, and who knows what else?! The landscaping was fantastic! Of all things, MY CAMERA WAS DEAD!!! Why should it work, after all, nothing was working this week... well, I was... double time!
I had my biopsy... and, being the baby that I am... I just want to say... OUCH! I hope they put me to sleep if they ever do any more stuff!
I am still waiting for the results.
Got to witness alot this week! That was exciting!
Hope to catch you up more later!

The Night Season

Today, an old hymn rings in my mind, as it says something like (I can't remember the name of it right now)...

Some through the water,

Some through the flood,

Some through the fire

But all through the blood

Some through great sorrow

But God gives a song

In the night season

And, all the day long



At first, I was afraid of the crazy news I received from the doctor last Wednesday... but, although I am concerned, I feel more calm... that is NOT to say that the news is good...

I had an ultrasound of my thyroid on Monday, and received the report Tuesday that the mass on my neck is firm (unmoving), and solid (not a fluid-filled cyst). With this news and my symptoms, they requested a biopsy ASAP... which is scheduled next Wednesday (not my idea of ASAP!). What an interesting week... Ron being in the midst of his 2nd round of intense chemo, and me getting news like this... what a twist! Oh, yes, in case you were wondering, the measurements of this thing is kind-of about the size of a quarter... 2.78 cm by 2.24 cm by 1.60 cm. You would think that I would not have ingored a lump THAT SIZE! But, with everything that was already going on, well, I just hoped it wasn't a big deal... and, that maybe it was my imagination. Sounds silly now that I think about it.

The children are fine... They have been saying such cute things! We were singing as a family together (at our home, of course!), and song was saying "He washed my sins away", and Faith stopped and said, "What are sins?" Open door #1. Then, the other day, I was reading her a Bible story, and she asked, "What time is Jesus coming back?" Open door #2. I was sharing with her one evening about what Jesus did for us, and she asked, "How does Jesus come into our hearts? Does He have to break our hearts?" Good question! Open door #3. Thank You, Jesus, for opening doors to share Your Word with my children!

And... we all go marching on...

Been rearranging the girls' room today... really like it so far... doesn't look as cluttered. I took out the toddler beds and put in a twin bed. (The girls ask to sleep together anyway... so why not save some space?) Eventually, what I would like to get is a low set of bunk beds with a trundle underneath, so that all three girls can sleep in the same room without taking up much space. (Of course, Hope is too young to sleep on a trundle, but I think ahead.) A twin bed sure looks big when you are used to a toddler-sized bed! Faith, being four years old, probably ought to be sleeping in a twin by now anyway... although she is short for her age. You know, all the rearranging and lifting I do, may have something to with the muscle spasms!

The ultrasound of my thyroid is scheduled for Monday. I can hardly wait to get the lump off of it, as it gets old having food stuck in my throat.

Ron is canoe-ing today with the youth group. Sounds a little more fun than cleaning house, huh? But, a woman's gotta do what a woman's got to do... (hmmm, just thought... sure hope the girls don't open the lid to the trash can and see what I threw out... better get the trash taken out soon! Can't keep everything!)

I am so happy that Ron watched the girls for me last night and I got to go to the thrift store... a very special treat! I found a corner shelf (probably about 4 foot high) that was light colored wood for my living room, and black and white checkered glass bowl for my bathroom (which is in black and white), and a pair of black dress shoes with pink trim... very elegant, and looks like it was hardly worn! Well, I believe the total was less than $15, and I was very happy with my purchases! Then, I went to McDonald's and bought myself a large chocolate shake (which served as my supper last night since I was having the throat problem), which I ended up sharing the shake with Ron. Happy, happy evening!

I had a really cool devotional time the other evening that I must share with you...

Proverbs 3:8

"It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones."

What do I know about bone marrow?

It produces cells, particularly white blood cell which fight off infection. [Please, correct me if I am wrong!)

What is infection spiritually speaking?

Anything that is festered in our hearts or causes us to not have a healthy relationship with God.

What is the context of the above Scripture?

God is warning His child not to forget His law and to be sure to keep his commandments (vs 1). He says this will give us long life and peace (vs 2). He admonishes us to take seriously mercy and truth (vs 3). This is how we find favour with God and man (vs 4). He reminds us to trust Him and not our own understanding (vs. 5), to acknowledge Him in everything (vs 5), not to follow our own wisdom, but His, and to stay away from evil (vs 7).

Obeying God and trusting His ways is key to good spiritual health. In fact, we cannot live long without getting spiritually ill and possibly dying if we fail in this area. We must obey God to live spiritually... to go to Heaven, to have fellowship with Christ.

How's your marrow? Are you healthy?

Isn't it neat when you are having devotions, and something you have probably read too many times to count, stands out in a new way?!

Oh, sorry to all the plastic people out there if I offended you in my last post... ummm, now I am sounding silly, but my point was that I was removing my courage mask the other day to show that I was afraid and hurting. I felt like being a bit more open... so excuse me, Little Tikes Little People and Barbie dolls! Ha!

The "Job" Syndrome

Have ever had those days when you just feel... depressed?! I am a "real" person, and although I sometime smile when I break bad news to people, I DO actually feel pain... just thought I would tell all the plastic people out there that I actually have nerve receptors and, today, I say "OUCH!"

Okay, I am really sounding strange, so allow me to explain myself...

I went to the doctor yesterday because I have been having serious muscle spasms for a long time, and they just seemed worse... and, since it is not easy to give myself a back message, it was really getting to me. I also wanted to ask about the 14 or so bruises on my legs (I have always bruised easily, but I was just curious why). Don't you love it when you go to the doctor for one thing and they diagnose you with another (having a muscle spasm as I write)... So the doctor started her routine of checking things (I had not been to my family doctor for a very long time), when she made a discovery that I forgot to mention...

I have been having trouble swallowing food for a while... food gets stuck (thought it was just because I have acid reflux), then there was this itching on my neck, then a couple of weeks ago I made the same discovery the doctor did (but, I was hoping it was my imagination... after all, I tend to be a hypochondriac). A lump... yes, I said a LUMP! YIPES! The doctor says it is on my thyroid. Not sure what it is all about... might be just a goiter, says the doctor. My blood tests came back normal, and I think they are going to run more tests (I hope they can get that thing off my neck before it gets any larger... saw some pictures of people with goiters that get really large, and it can get quite gross!) So, here I am at my house panicking... and, in a serious need of a back message!

I have had a lot of fun watching my children play today... but, there is that nagging question in the back of my mind, "What is up with the nodule?" I was told about some of the tests they might do and my family doctor is hooking me up with some other doctor... probably a specialist.

Oh, by the way, Ron is bald! He shaved off his hair because the chemo was really making it fall out big time! I still think he's cute!

On the good side, Ron and I have been spending more time praying together... and, our family is singing more together... and, I read Bible stories to the girls... BECAUSE...

"When all around my heart gives way, HE [Christ] then is all my hope and stay"

Clinging to Christ,

Sarah

And, all of God's people said...

Well, my girls are having alot of fun this morning with eating, coloring, drawing, playing dress up, giving speaches, and now they are playing dolls. Their attention span is fairly short, so after about 20 of playing one thing, it seems that they are ready for something else.

I eaves dropped on their playing a little while ago, and Faith was giving a speech, telling a story, or maybe she was preaching... she was doing quite well... but, she expected Charity to be involved. Charity was drawing (she said she was drawing a rocking chair and a guitar), and acted like she wsn't quite sure how to respond when Faith closed her "sermon" with "And all of God's people said... [Say it, Charity! Say it!] And all of God's people said, 'Amen'!" Too bad her audience wasn't cooperating, but I felt like falling over laughing!

One of the most beautiful sights in the whole world to me, is watching my children run and play in our yard... such innocence and so little worries... they have no worries about the future because they trust that it will all be well. What we can learn from our children! Just trust our Heavenly Father knows best, and will take good care of His children. What freedom!

Oh, I forgot to tell you...

I took Hope to the doctor the other day, because she had been having fevers... we have to keep sicknesses away, so I wanted to see what the cause was... nothing serious, probably just chewed on some germy toy outside of my home, and she is doing fine now. Anyway, when they weighed her, they left her outfit on, but guess how much my 8 month old weighs?! 20lbs 12oz! To me, that is very big, because I do not think that my other girls gained weight that quickly! I have seen much chubbier babies, but I am happy with my squishy one!

Also, I now have to be careful to put railing of her crib to the highest level when she is in it, because she pulls herself to standing. Then, when she is playing on my bed with me, I have to watch her every second, because she crawls full speed toward the edge of the bed like the bed just goes on forever. She has super amounts of energy, and lots of smiles! She is a wonderful baby!

Well, I must apogogize for not getting all of the pictures of camp and the zoo on my Picasa website yet... it takes sooo long for my computer to upload that it is not worth my time to spend all day trying to do it. Maybe high-speed would be a nice idea. Anyway, I did put two more pictures on... but, cannot get pictures on my blog, so you will need to go to my Picasa page, and click on "baby and family" album... There is a picture of Baby Hope and one of our family with the Manley family.
http://picasaweb.google.com/theroncookfamily

I am teachable...

or, at least I hope I am. Got some advice today that did not feel good to get... but, then again, the Bible does speak about being one who is wise enough to take counsel, huh?

Let me just throw in this thought... vinegar is a food item! Doesn't smell yummy, and doesn't taste yummy without being in a recipe... like pickles. It is great for getting spots off of dishes, and for cleaning some things. I also know people, including myself, who have used it to clean residue from hair occasionally. (I use gel and hairspray, because my hair is naturally curly, for some of my hairstyles... and, sometimes a bit of vinegar helps clean it out!) A friend told me that vinegar is considered a folk-lore medicine... not sure what for. Tasting it will NOT harm you... but, who wants to do that?! Just like advice, it can be hard to smell or take, but it does not harm you. Just thought I would leave you that thought.

I have not been teaching Faith much for the past couple of weeks, because of the stress. Rather, we have opted to have fun. The girls enjoyed their slip-n-slide and pool last week. I enjoyed some quick runs to the store. (I try not to take too long, so that Ron doesn't have to watch the girls for great periods of time.) I found some dresses and clothes for only $2 each at Meijer's. Charity and Hope wore some of those new dresses on Sunday, and Hope has on a new skirt today. I love those sells, because I love dressing up my children! When I came home from one of those trips (which was probably 1 1/2 hours total), my Faithy came to me and exclaimed, "Mommy, I missed you sooo much!" She seemed so excited to see me, I thought, "Maybe I should go out more often!" The girls were so happy about everything I bought. They gasped with joy over Charity's Dora pull-ups, the grapes (which was on a great sale!), bananas, Dora the Explorer yogurt, the 2 dollar outfits... they just make me laugh! It doesn't take a lot of money to make my children happy... just lots of kisses, hugs, Christian books or entertainment, praise, music, friends, and good food. Of course, there are some things they have to do that are not always fun... like cleaning up after themselves or eating broccoli, but it is good for them!

It was nice having my good friend, Electa, here today (my back-massaging friend from church)... enjoyed talking about creative ideas on cakes and desserts, decorating (Electa is HIGHLY talented in these areas!) and loved the conversation about pickling! Good to hear from my Grandma on the phone today... I love her so much! Good to have my mother-in-law here for a while today, too, even if I did accidently stab her with my hair stick (or whatever it is called)... SOOO sorry, Mom! She gave me a bubble kiss (her way of kissing her family), and I cringed because it tickled and when I turned my head, my hairstick stabbed her! It is quite sharp! What a terrible thing to do to her after she helped me clean up my house!

My girls were VERY hyper today, but we survived! Poor Pat, Electa, and Dulcee got to see them on one of the most hyper moments of their lives! The girls were late for their afternoon naps, so maybe that played a part in their very wild behavior... or, maybe they were excited about the company... they absolutely LOVE Pat! They think he is really funny... Hope especially loves him! Or, maybe, there was something strange in that Domino's Pizza we ate!

Ron went to the doctor today. Shenna, his sister, is getting her blood tested to see if she is a match for him... in case he will need someone else's blood cells besides his own. Thank you, Shenna, for being willing to donate!

I am really happy to have healthy, happy, intelligent, spiritually-inclined, beautiful little girls. They are not perfect... they seem to have a passion for fighting with one another over little petty things... yet, they are best friends. I am happy that I have a husband who loves the Lord, me, our children, and souls. I am happy to have good food, friends, fellowship, fun, (hey, these words are all starting with F), and a faithful God who loves me. Counting my blessings! Naming them one by one... oh, yes, and then, there is COFFEE! That sounds yummy right now!

Gotta go! Got a baby diaper to change, and some coffee to make!

snows and woes

You know there is a cause for concern when you approach a certain room of the house (i.e. the children's room), and a VERY strong smell of baby powder reaches your nose before you even make it to the room. Yes, on the girls' hardwood bedroom floor was a nice big powdery mess! Upon my return to the room, I find that added to the powder, was water. Not very amuzing until my daughter said something to me for cleaning up her "SNOW"! I like creative children, but this was not what I had in mind... I told her that it was NOT snow, and not to ever do that again... I have cleaned up "snow," and cleaned up "snow," and the job is STILL not done, and it has been several days!

Overall, I am very impressed at how well Ron is doing! He is at work right now, believe it or not! He has figured out that it is not a good idea to eat too much right now while he is doing this intense chemo , and to pace himself with working, unless he wants to get sick. He looks pretty good, and even went to church last night. I think he is doing so well because you all are praying for him! Thank you!

Well, the woe part, is my mind swirling with thoughts like... "Our lease is almost up... what does God have planned next?" "Our refrigerator is going crazy... I can't figure out if it is dying or not!" "Baby Hope is running a fever... and, it is probably my fault because I had her playing in water outside yesterday, and maybe she got too cold." "I really need to get my house cleaned, but there are a few little people who would like to do the opposite... so maybe I could entertain them by_____ or _____ or______, and then give them a couple of chores, and we will be done!" "I still need to have devotions today...hmmm, wonder if I can wait until the girls' naptime." "Wow, am I behind on Faith's lessons!" "When will I get consistent on potty training Charity?" "I am sooo sure Ron is going to be really aching after they give him that shot today!" "How do I keep the baby away from Ron so that he doesn't catch what ever is causing her fever... or, maybe it is just a tooth coming in... can't catch that!"

How do I get my brain and emotions to calm done and just do the work?! Well, I am sure all of you have had such mornings when you just feel like curling back up in your bed and saying, "Maybe I will go back to sleep, and when I wake up, maybe it will all be better!" But, it doesn't get done without some hard work... so, off I go!

Biopsy results

Definitely cancer! Ron is to start chemo again Monday... a new chemo treatment and this will be more intense! He has chemo Monday- Wednesday, then a shot (?) on Thursday of some heavy duty WBC boosting medicine. Then, there will be two weeks off, then a repeat. After two or three rounds, it's off to Columbus!

Gotta have some fun news! On Wednesday. Hope pulled up to standing!

Please pray for us.

Here is the explanation...

Well, Ron is not here to give the okay, but some of you are going to receive emails concerning Ron, so I thought I would go ahead and let you know.

RON IS NOT IN REMISSION!

The PET scan results said that much more malignancy is seen compared to his April PET scan. PET scans read the sugar uptake values... more or less that there is activity going on. Much of the lesions are in the right mediastinum area. PET scan said a focal point was found on his right femur, but a follow-up x-ray did not show this. I don't have the papers on me right now, but, if my memory serves me right, spots were also see in the hilum (sp?) area, paratracheal-claviclear area (somewhere around there), and somewhere adjacent to the heart (not on the heart). I am giving you some of these details because it might clear up some confusing stories (you know how when things get passed down, it tends to be changed). His MRI on his brain was fine. He also had a CAT scan which confirmed the swelling of the lymph nodes in the chest, etc.

He had a biopsy done yesterday. It was a CT guided needle biopsy in the chest area... Ron was actually awake for this. We should find out the results tomorrow. The oncologist is confident that what is seen on these scans is the Hodgkin's.

The oncologist believes it best for Ron to go for the high-dose chemo with a stem-cell transplant in Columbus regardless of the biopsy results. First, they will have to start a new chemo here for maybe 6 weeks to get the cancer as small as possible before sending him for the big deal.

They will take stem-cells from Ron and freeze them before they wipe out his white blood count, then they will give him back his cells and watch him for a couple of weeks. He should be in the hospital for about 3 weeks.

The doctors are saying that it would not be wise to wait.

Ron was experiencing pain for a while on his right side. (It looks like it was the cancer, because the location of his pain is where they are finding these swellings.)

God is helping us through this. Ron is brave. We press on!

Psalm 23

The Lord is my Shepherd

I shall not want

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures

He leadeth me beside the still waters

He restoreth my soul

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name sake

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I will fear no evil

For Thou art with Me

Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies

Thou anointest my head with oil

My cup runneth over

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life

And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

What a beautiful chapter in God's Word! You want to hear something ironic?! This was the Scripture we opened our calander to when we turned it over to August. It was also the Scripture that I had chosen for Faith's first month of pre-school... and, the rest of the story you will have to wait for... at least until I get the "go-ahead" to share it with you. Some of you already know... or, at least have heard it through the grape-vine (which often is not very reliable), but don't worry, I don't plan to leave you in the dark forever!

Well, for anyone who is interested, Hope is cutting her two top teeth and says "mamama," Faith told me that I am a good Mom, and Charity still looks like a goose when she runs (sooo cute!) and asks me to "hold her tight" often (its a bear hug!). I know that this sounds like pointless info, but not to this mamama!

The teens did awesome Sunday night singing! Thank you, Jessica Smith!

My nose has been bothering me for probably over a week! No, I don't mean that I am overly curious about someone else's business, I mean I really have this horrible pressure behind (?) my nose, and it is really getting to me! It doesn't feel stuffed, and I have no symptoms of a cold... just this annoying pressure that comes and goes! If I sound like I am protesting... I am protesting! What is wrong with my nose?! Any doctors out there? One can get very weary of going to doctor's offices. (Our family has had its fill!)

Perhaps, I need to go to bed. I think I am starting to ramble! Goodnight!

One more thing!

Hope is crawling! LOOK OUT! SHE CAN GET AROUND! She also serves as a human vacuum cleaner! I am constantly plucking items out of her mouth! If it's on the floor, she will probably find it! (My straying hairpins are her delicacies.) Just thought you might like to hear about "Baby Chubs."

I have got the blogger blues...

Can't get to the library.

My computer is too slow.

Have many lurkers.

Leaving comments... no!

Okay, I am not really mourning blogging that badly. I have much more important things on my mind, which I will share with you in the near future.

Yes, I am a true Proverbs 31 woman this morning as I got up at wee hours of the morning, threw laundry in the washer, folded some, turned on dishwasher, made coffee and frozen Pillsbury biscuits (I love those things!), took out the trash, read from my new-to-me Study Bible, and my little Hope is already up. Dear Ones, it is a fine thing to get up a little after five AM, because by the time my other children get up, I can have so much already done. I think I might like to make it a habit... I even got to see my hubby off to work (yes, he started back to work this week).

So glad I am being a good wife this morning, because I wasn't last evening... my irritation at our little people was annoying hubby. I threatened my children that I would throw away toys if they didn't pick them up very quickly. (It was time for bed, and their room was NOT in a good state!) I actually DID throw away one junky little toy to prove to my children I was very serious... Faith suddenly LOVED that toy and cried greatly... I melted and told her if she hurried up that she could have it back. I usually allow one basket of toys out at a time, but things got a little out of hand yesterday, and they had quite the mess. Let's just say, the room looked MUCH better when they went to bed... I explained to them that I wasn't throwing away their toys because I didn't love them, but because I wanted them to learn that we must clean up after ourselves... so I felt a little mean, but it worked.

I started pre-school with Faith last Friday, and she is doing great! I love hearing her say "Capital I, Little i, says iii, as in Indian" all by herself, and then her I verse, "If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it. John 14:14" I am using Abeka Book K4, and even Charity likes being involved.

Well, there's a little update. Gotta go!

Here we go...

Now check out the site below... the tons of pictures from the past are now available for your veiwing... click on All Things Work Together Album to see over 300 pictures... yes, some are repeats, but, hey, at least it is better than nothing! Hope's dedication pictures are available, too. Still have to get the zoo and camp albums done. If anyone could tell me how to just have people click on a picture on my blog and bring it up, that would be great! Thanks, and enjoy!

Not finished yet

There are more pictures to come. It is just taking me alot of time to figure out all the details of how it all works. There will be pictures of our zoo trip, Youth Camp, Hope's dedication....
Just give me a day or two to get it all figured out. It's comin' together! I think this will much faster than what I was doing!

testing...

http://picasaweb.google.com/theroncookfamily

This should show up with old pictures of our family. You will want to check this out when you have plenty of free time, as there are MANY pictures from the past, perhaps, year and a half. I know that there are repeat pictures, but I am trying to learn how this works. I am messing around with it, so bare with me. I have video clips, too, but I have to figure out how to do that with my computer. Enjoy!

Click on "my pictures." Let me know if this works!

***Later... I know it needs fixed... I am trying... thanks for your patience!

Slowing down... MAYBE!

Well, it certainly HAS been a busy time! With Youth Camp being over, Hope's dedication completed, my parent's gone, etc., we still have my birthday tomorrow and Ron's PET scan and MRI this week.
I was pretty proud of myself Saturday. I did about 3 days work in one day! The laundry from camp was all put through the wash, house cleaning somewhat caught up on (did not get dusting done, though), washed outside and cleaned most of the inside of our van, mowed the lawn, and made the lazana, garlic bread sticks, and baked the cake for Sunday dinner. My back and feet were sore, but I was thankful not to have all of that work hanging over my head!
I have sooo many pictures and video clips to show you from the past few weeks... I am trying right now to figure out a way to do that! Just hold tight, I hope to get that done today.

Going away again!

I plan to be gone Monday through Friday for Youth Camp.

On Saturday or Sunday, my parents are supposed to be coming up to visit. They celebrate 25 years of marriage on July 30. They are supposed to stay with me for a couple of days.

Hope is to be dedicated to the Lord this coming Sunday.

This is going to make for a busy week...

You probably won't hear from me for a while, but, continue to pray for us. Ron has a PET scan and MRI the following week. (I think one is on the 30th and one is on the 31st.) Hopefully, there will be no problems... one can get weary of having themself cut on and put through torturious chemicals.

I also celebrate my 27th birthday on July 29.

Have I mentioned the situation with my hair? Yes, it may seem a bit sad, but I am turning gray. It has been happening for a little while, but it seems that it is speeding up a little. I haven't even had a chance to turn 30 yet! Perhaps they are strands of wisdom... now that could be a good thing... hey, gotta think that something good will come of it!

Well, as much as I love to chat with you all, I have much to do, seeing that early tomorrow, we will be off to start a GREAT week! Pray that God will move in a mighty way!

Have I ever mentioned how I feel about ironing?

My back hurts... you want to know why? I have once again mowed my grass, and I have also spent MUCH time ironing today! I am now taking a break. I have been trying to get ready for Youth Camp, which begins this Monday. We are bringing about 8 young people. Please, pray for the teens (and us!). We want to see God move in a mighty way! Getting packed, and trying to be sure that nothing is forgotten can be fun, and stressful! I am ironing before hand for a few reasons, but one is that camp is sooo fast paced that I don't know how we will squeeze in extra jobs like ironing.

I have cut several shirts' sleeves the past couple of days to make long-sleeved shirts into 3/4 sleeves... I am very happy about that! I have been busy at my sewing machine, fixing Ron's damaged pants, making 3/4 sleeves, and sewing up monster-splits in some of my skirts. (The pins I had in some of them were tearing the material, so I had to iron patches onto those areas.) It doesn't look too bad.

Worked alot on the office/schoolroom the other day... it is really starting to look like a K4 classroom, although it is very small... and, it also has Mommy and Daddy's work in it, too. I think she is a little too young to enjoy Daddy's Bible "Beacon Commentaries" and Mommy's "Elizabeth George" books... although she does have "A Little Girl After God's Own Heart." Anyway, I wish I could paint my rooms in happy colors like some of you do, but I rent! So, I will have to just decorate the best I can! Maybe I will post a picture in the future. Still haven't gotten to the library to upload pictures... life has been way too busy with playing with the girls and doing house projects! I am actually excited about starting school with Faith. She would love to start now, but I want to wait until August. I am using A Beka Book this year. She already can recognize a quite a few of her letters, does well with colors, shapes, etc., because we've "played school" in the past.

How can I get Hope to stop eating important papers? *Pause... while I rescue something*
*Okay, I am back.*

Here is the most exciting news! After I told Faith and Charity a flannel graph story about Jesus yesterday, Faith wanted to ask Jesus in her heart! I was delighted to assist! Charity wanted to do it also, and so I prayed with her too... not sure if she quite understood, being only 2, but at least she is interested. They "played missionary" yesterday (which consists of wrapping things around their necks and Hope's, too! Not sure what it has to do with being a missionary, and I wasn't thrilled with the idea of putting things around their necks!), and today, they were saying something about "drinking Jesus' blood," then they would take turns drinking this water they had... not sure where they got this idea either... Maybe it was like communion, or something. Faith said something to me yesterday about Hell... so I tried to explain to her about Hell being for the Devil, and that people who don't ask Jesus in their hearts and are not sorry for their sins, will go there too, that there is fire and people biting each other. Then, we talked about Heaven, and how there will be no sin there, no crying, that the streets will be gold, and we will be singing songs to Jesus... she asked if she could go to Heaven now. I told her that when she dies, or when Jesus comes back, she could go, but that Mommy wanted to keep her here until then... Pretty deep conversation for a four year old! The girls are still singing the songs they learned from VBS, even the Spanish one! Very impressed!

Well, if you don't hear from me for a few days, I am out basking in the sun... HA! (ie, YOUTH CAMP). Have a great week!

Getting organized!

Well... in the middle of trying to have fun with family, I have been organizing! So excited about my labeling projects! The girls' room looks about the best it ever has! Just thought I would brag!
Got Scriptures posted around my house as reminders to help me in areas that I need to improve!
Had help from Ruthanne Buckland with folding laundry today, and she even watched the children for a while so that Ron and I could go out to eat! Thanks, friend!
House doesn't look too bad, but of course, there is always projects to do! I was able to get much work done the other day, because Ron took the girls out for several hours... they ate out, went to the lake, and the girls even took a nap in the van. Thank you, dear, for helping me sooo much. He even helped organize some of the back room!
It is amazing how much better a woman can feel about herself when her house looks decent! I even steam-cleaned some of my carpets!
Okay, I will stop bragging now, but I was just so excited about what the Lord has helped me accomplish this week.
God has also answered two important prayers this week, and I just want to thank Him!
Reporting in... this has been Sarah Cook on the happenings of the past few days!

Just because I can...

I will share with you a bit of what I have been doing the past couple of days...

I sort-of let the house go, and had fun with my children... yep, got a lot of clean laundry waiting to be put away and a bathroom that needs scrubbing down, and the kitchen floor needs mopped... but, my girls have certainly enjoyed having Mama play with them. They have played in the pool, we have played Candy Land, walked together to the park and played, I have read lots of stories to them, play, play, play! They've played with Play-dough, bubbles, colored, watched Bible Stories (one of the very few things I actually allow them to watch), played "Simon Says" (okay, this did not go very well), they played outside some while I mowed my grass AGAIN (second time this week), helped Mommy "exercise" (the girls make nice weights! They love this!), and so on! Loads of fun! I am very happy about it, too! They are such cool kids! Yes, they still got into trouble, and we had to have moments of painful correction, but overall, we have had a really nice past couple of days! I figure, "Hey, I will always have floors to sweep, but my children are growing up way too fast, and I need to spend time with them while they are little... or, I am going to open my eyes one morning and I won't have little children climbing all over my bed anymore, they will be all grown up. They won't keep begging, "Mommy, will you hold me tight?" (SO CUTE!) Or popping out of bed, saying, "I forgot to give you a hug and a kiss." Or, a little girl pulling at the single hair growing out of my chin... okay, maybe I could live without anymore of that! You get the point! I love them, but I have been too busy for them... way too busy!!! I wanted my babies back, but I can't rewind time. I will just have to do better from here on out! I think I have nearly smothered Hope with kisses and hugs... my little baby! Yep, it's almost 1 am here, but I just thought I would tell you "I LOVE MY CHILDREN!"

Oh, I love my hubby, too! Afterall, why else would I have picked up over 50 earthworms *yuck* yesterday and put them in a container in my refrigerator as a surprise for him. (He likes to fish.)

We have also not missed a night of VBS this week! And, tonight, I may have worried Faith a little when I was trying to speak in Spanish and act Mexican during snack-time (VBS was Mexican this year)... I was trying to have fun with the VBS kids, and Faith starting crying... She actually might have been not feeling well... maybe she was dehydrated from all of the heavy playing outside today, not sure, but she was not excited about Mama's change of language. Overall, though, the girls had loads of fun, and learned their first Spanish song. Thank you, Charlotte Fredrick, for sharing the Good News with the children!

And... Hope looks like she is ready to start crawling very soon... She is loving rocking on her hands and knees (she just needs to figure out how to move those arms and legs). Seems impossible that she is old enough to do that already!

Sorry if this bores you...

I know I haven't gotten to the library yet to post those pictures... but, I just have to share my excitement. Perhaps this does not warm your heart and soul like it does mine, but here is some new info on my children.

Hope can sit up, although a bit wobbly. She also has begun rocking on her hands and knees! You know what usually comes after that! I felt a little sad (strange, I know) because she is getting big so fast! It looks like crawling is right around the corner. Right now, one of her favorite things to do, is to lie on her back and kick things that make noise. She loves to do this in the bathtub, too, splashing water big time!

Faith got this little toy dog at the garage sale that barks and walks, but it quit working. I tried to change the batteries, but it still won't work. I think I told her it was tired. She came to me the other day and told me it was very sick, and she was going to take it to Jesus. I was hoping God would heal the little toy for her, but it still doesn't work. I told her that it is not always God's will to fix things... wasn't sure if that was the best answer or not. Get this, she gave the dog a very interesting name... She calls it "Stethanita."

Charity is talking so very well, although some people don't know how well she speaks because she acts shy around a lot of people. There are some down sides to a chatter-box two year old, especially when they talk in public restrooms. I was reminded recently of someone's past post on their blog about funny things said by kids in bathrooms. Charity is very blunt, and asks way too many questions! I just either try to keep cool about it, or just keep hushing her.

I have been trying to do little fun things with the girls... one is making shapes with the pancake mix. Yesterday, Faith had a teddy bear pancake, and Charity had a heart pancake. Charity just gasped and said, "Oh, WOW!" So cute! Today, I asked them what shapes they wanted, and Faith said she wanted a strawberry, and Charity said she wanted a rainbow. Out came the food coloring, and they got their rainbow and strawberry... I took pictures of them... maybe I will share that with you later, too.

Here is a cool idea for you, mamas! Recently, when I was cleaning out and organizing the girls' drawers, I decided to label them. For example, I wrote underwear, shorts (for under their dresses or swimming), and bloomers for the top drawer, then I drew pictures of each item. Next drawer down is tights and socks, and so forth. Now Faith can put away her own folded clothes as I work on the laundry! Sure save me some trips! One more job handed over to the children! Hurray!

Still in VBS this week. Pray hard, we have a situation with one family that needs a miracle!

Until we meet again...

How did I forget?

I believe in my trying to squeeze the update in last night, I forgot a couple of milestones of Baby Hope's. About July 2, 2008, Baby Hope was introduced to the world of teeth! About two days later, another tooth came pushing its way through those gums! Now, she has added another cute thing to her list as she has officially started jabbering... it looks and sounds like she is actually trying to carry a conversation with you. SOOO CUTE! She had already started moving her mouth without noise a while back, and it reminds me of the Bible story of Hanna praying without actually using her voice. Hope makes me laugh, also, when she is happy... because she sticks her tongue out! She is a great baby! Just thought I would share that with you.

On another note, I was a bit, uh, how do I say it, GROSSED OUT today!!! It appears that some large dog took its liberty at the bottom of my yard a couple of times since I last did my lawn work. I was mowing my grass with flip-flops on today, and guess what?! You guessed it... I stepped in one of the stinky messes! Have I ever mentioned how I feel about the smell of dog messes... well, my feelings toward it is still not positive, especially when it is on my flip-flop! Just thought I would vent on you for a moment!

Just another week or so...

Yeah, right! I plan to share with you pictures and video clips of portions of this past week at a later time. I usually upload those at the library, because my computer is too slow for me to wait all day!

Since the last time I posted, many things have taken place. Yes, there was housework, grass to mow, children to feed, diapers to change, potty training to pursue, apologies to be made for a bad attitude... you know, the normal stuff we have to do. BUT THEN... well, I am trying to remember what I wrote about last (It is past mid-night here, and my brain is shutting down). Let's see. Well, the children survived their doctor appointments, even the dreaded shots. Hope ran a fever the night of the shots. The doctor did not think her nose was broken from the fall off the bed... but she did have quite the bruise and a bit of swelling. Ummm... oh, yes, the doctor had us go to Urgent Care after I told her about Faith's nearly choking on that coin. She wanted to be sure she had not actually swallowed any... don't worry, there was no foreign objects in her stomach. Hope was nearly 19 pounds. Charity may be a little lactose-intolerant. Faith and Charity are, I believe, only about in the 5th percentile in their height. Um... let's see... I guess the children are considered healthy... yes, I am glad that their check-ups went well... actually better than expected, since I scheduled all of their check-ups at one time so that I did not have to run back and forth to the doctor.

Tuesday, our family sold our bunk beds and went to the zoo. We didn't exactly need them, and the people we sold them to, really needed them! The trip to the zoo was a gift for Faith for her 4th birthday. Her birthday was today... or, maybe I should say "yesterday" since it is after mid-night. We did our trip on Tuesday, because of the good weather that day and some other days of our week were already booked for other activities. Of course, we don't do those things on Sundays. We had fun, although we were hot because I dressed the girls and myself in black and khaki... Did anyone say, "Uh, Sarah, black attracts heat!"? Well, we still had fun, and the children got a lesson on God's Great Creation.

Wednesday, Ron overbooked and was all over the place. What could the guy fit into his schedule? He had to pick stuff up at people's houses for a youth garage sale, do some jail ministry, etc. It was a crazy day for him... so much that at one point, he wasn't sure how he was going to get back home in time to pick the girls and me up for church. So, I started walking to church! Thank God that Ron actually was able to pick me up about 1 mile into my walk, I believe.

Thursday, I went to the store, and that evening, a young lady from church and I priced things for a youth garage sale.

Friday was Independence Day. We went to the Perkins' house and ate more than necessary. Then, that night we walked to see fireworks. I walked from my house all the way to Delco Park. The girls seemed to really enjoy it, except Charity kept saying, "I need to potty." Where does one come up with a potty when they are sitting at a park with people all around them? So glad she had a pull-up on!

We had a Youth Garage Sale for Missions on Saturday. We were able to raise over $300. It was exhausting, but worth it! After that, and after almost bursting into tears because I forgot to bring one of the ingredients to make Faith's birthday cake, I went and bought Faith a cake, and we had a quick birthday party. After which, Ron went to prayer meeting while I cleaned up after the party and watched the girls in the basement of the church. Hope had another fall because the high chair she was sitting in down there was faulty! The tray popped off, and I couldn't run fast enough to catch her! She was surprisingly okay... but, I wasn't! I was VERY upset! You see, right before that, I had gotten locked out of the church when I was throwing away trash, and all of my children were locked in! Aaaaugh! I ran and checked a few doors, and all were locked! So I tried ringing a bell and making some obnoxious noise to try to get someone out of the prayer meeting to let me in. My husband heard me and rescued me. By the time I got downstairs, the children were crying for me! My nerves were a wreck! After that, I needed to get back into a spiritual mode, because it was time to go for Saturday calling, before it got too late!

Sunday, the house was a major disaster, but we went to church every service, and cleared enough stuff off of the table so that we could have lunch! After the evening service, we went to visit Ron's parents for a while. We had not gone to their house for a long time. I was jealous when I saw how clean and beautiful their house looked. But, then, I had to remind myself that all of her children are grown. She does care for her handicapped son, Bradley, and she is amazing with him!

It is amazing that my little girl is four years old now! She is so beautiful and smart. She makes up the wildest stories you could ever hear, and she loves to sing and pretend she knows how to play instruments. I was looking at some pictures of her from the past few years, and, oh, how she is growing up so quickly! Once she was my 9 lb 8 oz newborn, so precious that she made me cry tears of joy when I first saw her! I want to hold onto her babyness, but I can't... it has slipped away. She is now preschool age. Oh, that time would slow down!

Faithy, my prayer for you is that you will be saved at a very young age and serve God always. Walk the way of holiness. Know your Bible! Make good friends, work very hard, lead others to Christ, be honest, don't gossip, be trustworthy, and follow God's calling on your life. If God would someday give you a husband, you had better memorize and live Titus 2:4-5 and take to heart Proverbs 31. I love you so much! I am very proud of you... I know I don't always act like it when I am frustrated, but you mean so much to me, and I am glad that God gave you to us! Happy Birthday! Love you lots and lots with sugar on top (this is something I say to my girls many times before they go to bed).

Everyone, have a good week! Hope to get those pictures on soon! Vacation Bible School is this week at our church, and if we need the bus... well, guess who is the only one with a CDL licence at our church! RON! I predict another busy week! Pray that some children get saved this week!

Two cups of coffee and a prayer...

That is what it took today to get me through doing an extraordinary large amounts of housework today! You would NOT believe the work I got done. Ron has been gone nearly all day, and it has been Jesus, the children, me, and my phone... I survived putting away an estimated 6 loads or so of laundry, mopping, doing a little dusting, loaded the dishwasher about three times, vacuumed, picked up loads of stuff off of floors, washed some more laundry (do any other moms have to wash blankets as much as I do?), cleaned the bathroom, and made sure the children had something to eat for each meal (even if it was cereal, PB&J sandwiches, and mac-n-cheese). Every child got a bath today as well, and I still have a little sanity... although it certainly was difficult to keep sane... here's quite a story...
Well, today I woke up to a BANG! NOT AGAIN! Okay, I should know better than sleeping with my baby, but that is how I actually get SLEEP! She feel off onto the hard-wood floor. Being the calm rational mother I am, I became very dramatic! I scooped her up and started my "Poor baby" cries, and tried to nurse her, but she wouldn't do it. She got sleepy... which REALLY made me nervous! Why can't a day go by without any drama? It turned out she must have landed on her little face because her nose is skidded up and bruised. I called the doctor's office, being worried her little nose was broken... yes, I am a worry-wart... but, my children have check-ups tomorrow, and they can look at it then. She is back to smiling and sticking out her little tongue when she is happy, and yes, I even did the pupil check and kept checking up on her in her crib during naptime because she took a long nap and I was afraid something would happen to her. I called my sister-in-law, who is an RN, and she told me what to do and to just keep an eye on her. My children are VERY precious to me, and that is why I am so dramatic when something happens to them... it seems someone is getting hurt everytime I turn around... you see, I ALSO had to call Poison Control today because Charity got into something she shouldn't have even been able to find in her reach and tasted it (yes, just tasted it, but I still was a little concerned), and she is fine. Why do they pick times when Mommy really needs to get work done to find things? So glad I caught her before she actually ate it!
They now have had their baths, dressed for bed, been given something to eat, those who have teeth, have them brushed, been prayed with, and are safely tucked away in their beds... Oh, how sweet and innocent they look when they are sleeping! I even got them to bed earlier than usual... sigh!
All in a day's work... yep, I think I am a nurse, teacher, housekeeper, laundry-maid, or maybe I am a slave... afterall, I don't get paid for it... Actually, yes, I do... Seeing my children hunger after Jesus and seeing my family's smiles is pay enough.
Gotta go and have devotions while it is nice and quiet! Good night!

If you wanna see pictures of camp...

here is a cool website with plenty of pictures of camp. I even saw pictures of Shenna and her children! There are some very good pictures of my children in Children's Choir, and Kyle in the Youth Choir (Kyle is my nephew)! Thank you to Ruthanne for e-mailing me about this. The website is http://photo.blsnelling.com/, click on church photos, then on the 08 Camp. Faith and Charity are on page 10. They are both wearing turquoise and brown with poky-dots. I am not sure that there are any close up pictures of Hope. If you look at some pictures of other years and camps, you will probably find old pictures of us at this same website! There are pictures of Ron and me as well for this year, but our children are cuter :-) The people with the double jogging stroller in the long lunch line is us! Anyway, I have visited this website before, but did not realize that they would have pictures so quickly! They did a good job!

Clap for me... I have returned to potty-training Charity, and I washed probably 10 loads of laundry yesterday, sent Ron to the store with a much needed list of groceries, and started a new rule with Faith that there is to be NO crying unless she is hurt... sooo tired of toddler whining! Today, I mowed my grass, folded some laundry, potty-trained, took a walk, made no-bake cookies, and moaned at the very messy house... and, the fact that I have a huge pile of clean laundry in the guest room to fold, hang, and put away... and, some have need of serious ironing since I just threw clothes out of the dryer into the guest room as I continued to wash laundry like a factory! Oh, how I love laundry after camp... NOT! Especially with the need to wash the blankets.

Today, Faith had a close call! I was getting the children down for their nap, when I heard Faithy scream! It was an urgent cry. I went into her room and saw coins lying on her bed, and little Faith with an expression of one who is about to vomit. I quickly realized she was choking on money! I snatched her up up, flipped her over (kind-of upside-down), and I think I slapped her back. It was a penny! I am not sure when it came out, but she vomited a little fluid, and I nearly had a heart-attack! I kept thinking... what if this... what if that... Thank God for His help and grace! He rescued my little girl!

Well, it is busy here and it is time to get the girls in bed! Gotta go!

WE'RE BACK!

...BUT I regret very deeply to say that although I had great plans to take pictures and make video clips of camp... MY CAMERA WAS FORGOTTEN AT MY CHURCH FOR THE WHOLE WEEK! I was sooo disappointed to not be able to share with you some pictures... so here is my plea... if any of you were able to snap a few pictures of camp, especially of our family, our girls singing in the children's choir, ANYTHING, would you please email them to me at sarahgbs@yahoo.com ? I would greatly appreciate it... I love to keep memories of my family's activities.
My nephew and nieces were great for me! I am sooo glad that they were able to come. They made lots of friends and heard good teaching! My children were much more difficult because of their ages, and they wear down terribly. I was embarrassed nearly every time I gave my girls a bath, Faith would be so tired she would scream about everything. The children's melt-downs were very difficult because it was in public, and I kept having to discipline them... but, overall, they had a blast playing and going to the children's services.
I had my camera at my church on Sunday for a Sunday School class craft (it required pictures of the children) and the teens also sang in their choir robes on Sunday, and I just forgot it there. I was sooo very sad to not be able to share with you our week.
The preaching and singing was sooo rich and beautiful. It was wonderful seeing so many friends again! Ron even SHOCKED people by his playing basketball and softball. Some people came up to me and shared how they just couldn't believe what a miracle they saw. Yes, it exhausted him, but I think it was good for him! (Minus his injured toe... it was infected before playing basketball, and someone accidentally stepped on it causing it to really bleed! Every little thing is big here!) Charity had some injuries, but I was told she didn't need stitches, and the nurse was right... I think her lip shall heal well. Poor kid, she just kept getting hurt over and over! Plus, she had some diaper prob all over a tweenager... I felt very sorry for the tweenager who had "Charity" big time on her shirt! I held Charity under the shower and made my niece run to get her a change of clothes! Oh, the joys of motherhood!
One of the sermons that really helped me was one about being Spirit-filled and staying Spirit-filled! It was SO RICH! The evangelists were Brother Peirpoint and Bro. Dan Stetler, and the musicians were the Sankeys, and they did excellent! Randy Brown worked with the teenagers, while the Blacks worked with the children. How I appreciated the ministry this past week... even the cooks did a good job. So many people worked to make this camp great!
Shenna, Ron's sister, and he husband stayed Friday and Saturday night. So my nieces and nephews went to stay with their parents then.
I am sorry if you missed it! Many memories were made and it was a pleasure to see those who have helped pray us through Ron's cancer and gave in sooo many ways!

On another subject... Yes, my piano from the previous post is really out of tune! I need to get that taken care of before my other children get married! HA!

Who would have ever thought?

TAKE ONE (Rehearsal)

Today, we had John and Janelle Manley over for a cook-out at our house! It was so very fun! The children played on the slip and slide, rode bikes, and played inside while it rained. Ron and I cooked a rather large meal, and we feasted! We had beef hoagies, grilled corn-on-the-cob, sweet potato cassarole, home-made macaroni and cheese, veggie pizza, chips, baked beans (dressed up by Sister Manley), and brownies! Completed with pop and iced tea made by Sister Manley.

TAKE TWO (More rehearsal)

Today is a special day for little Hope. This day marks her half year birthday! Can you believe she is already six months old? She is still so smiley and cheerful. Poor Brother Manley got some Hope-mess on him today... she is already a sharing child!

Tomorrow is a special day for Ron and me... OUR 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY (It is also his mother's birthday!) These videos are a reminder! It has been a rather busy five years, but it has helped us grow (in more way than one one... HA!).

Sunday is another special day... FATHER'S DAY! HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DAD! GRANDPA! FATHER-IN-LAW! AND ALL THOSE FATHER-LIKE FIGURES IN OUR LIVES! I would also like the say that to my husband! He is the best daddy my children could ever ask for (besides our Heavenly Father). He loves our children sooo much, and they LOVE him!

DADDY

I have a special friend

Who holds me many days

Tells stories, plays, and kisses,

Loves me in many ways

He provides and trains

He tells me of Jesus

He preaches well

He prays for me

To go to Heaven, not Hell

He is amazing

He is my hero

Me he will not neglect

Though there be sorrow

One day he got sick

Perhaps he would die

But he praised God anyway

Saw my Mommy cry

My friend is well now

Strong he will soon be

He's funny and smart

He is tall as a tree

He will run again

He will laugh

I love him so

I can't say the half

I know he would give his life for me

My best friend's name... Daddy!

SARAH COOK (about her husband)

TAKE THREE!!!

Congratulations Cale and Faith! Ha! Oh, yes, there are reasons Janelle sings and does not play the piano at our church (she wanted me to tell you that!)

Yes, I am aware that I missed Mother's Day... So Mom... Here you go, too! I LOVE YOU! Thank you for praying for me and loving me! You have really cared! And, to my mother in law... thank's for all you've done... I love you, too!

Do you feel all the love today?!

Next week is camp, so if you don't hear from me for a while... have a great and loving week!

REJOICE WITH ME!!!

TODAY PERHAPS MARKS THE END OF A LONG AND DIFFICULT JOURNEY! ONE IN WHICH OUR FAMILY HAS LEARNED MUCH, CRIED MUCH, AND FOUND OUT JUST HOW MUCH OUR PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL FAMILIES LOVE US! THANK YOU FOR STICKING WITH US AND PRAYING FOR US! RON HAS NOW COMPLETED CHEMOTHERAPY!!!

My dear husband is now home tired and pale (which is pretty typical after he receives a chemo treatment), and he is in bed... but, rejoice! From the resent tests results... THIS SHOULD BE THE LAST ONE! He made it! Praise God!!! Praise GOD! I told God that if He would bring him through, I would give Him the GLORY! Thank you, Jesus!

It is sooo funny at the cancer center, when someone completes chemo, they blow these party horns, blow bubbles, and cheer for the survivor! They also hand out a certificate. I came today to watch the chemo nurses celebrate RON!

I felt sooo sad for some new couples who came in today. The nurses were showing them around, and what goes on while one sits for hours being pumped full of the strong chemicals. They can read, have a visitor with them, watch TV, or sleep (Ron has used some of this time to sleep and witness to others). I felt a wave of emotions knowing that they have a difficult journey ahead, and that they were just starting. I remembered back to when it was new to us... it was scary and my heart was broken. When you would hear them cheer for others who made it, you hoped you would someday have that celebration. We knew that God knows best, and He would take care of us... we held on for the ride, and now the ride is slowing down and we are MORE THAN READY to get off!

He has another PET scan next month, and is supposed to have PET scans about every 3 months for the next year, I believe. Gotta make sure nothing pops up again. Today, I rejoice, because I still have my husband and my children still have their Daddy to wrestle with them! I love you, RON!

Oh, yes, thank you to the York Bible Methodist Church for the nice gift! God bless!

Exciting days! With a lot of this and that again!

Sorry, no pictures this time!

I do like Summer time... as long as I have AC!
My children have a pool, and enjoyed that earlier today... but, now it is naptime, and they are sleeping beautifully. We've had sooo much rain with all of the storms lately, it is nice for them to be able to get outside to play! However, in the time they were out (although I did use sunscreen) they turned DARK! Martha, I thought of your recent post, but hopefully Faith and Charity's won't turn into a burn! It is supposed to get to 90 degrees out today!

Camp is coming up, and I am doing a brave thing... I am planning to bring my husband's sister's children with us! I think they will have lots of fun, make good friends, and grow spiritually! I am sooo excited! It is just a week and half away! Hope to see some of my blogging friends there!

Ron's final chemo is scheduled to be this Tuesday! Then, another PET scan is, I believe, scheduled sometime in July! I am sooo excited that we've made it through this, and it looks like Ron may be cured!!!

God has opened MANY opportunities for us to witness lately... through Sunday School, Children's Church, family situations, and even with several neighbors. It is neat to be able to share Jesus' love. It can also be a bit stressful. Today, our 94 year old neighbor was working in her strawberry patch, and fell in it. Mud covered part of her face. Ron helped her up, and we helped finish picking a large bucket of stawberries for her. She is such a sweet woman... often she has shared with us from her garden. She is a hardworker for being 94!

I have been extra stressed lately... not sure why, but it has made me a bit grumpy, so if I am short with you, please excuse me... I have been that way toward my family, too. Confess your faults one to another, huh? Ask my hubby... I have had to majorly apologize to him! Why is it that the people you love the most, you are the roughest on?!

Ron has been cleaning out our basement today, which has been a bit flooded. He is throwing out some ruined items. It is a nasty job! So thankful that he is willing to do it!

Ron bought me a double jogging stroller for $25 the other day from a flee market! I am so excited! The big tires help pushing to be much easier, although the front tire does not rotate!

Everyone is doing well here, and I am very thankful!
I have enjoyed the comments and emails!
Enjoy the rest of the day!