Would you know that is just occurred to me that there REALLY is a "Hick[s]ville" in this country?! I happened to see it appear on my visitors list! Hello to the REAL Hicksville! I hope your real Hicksville is as beautiful as my so called "Hickville."
I love pulling my foot out of my mouth... it is becoming a habit these days... just ask my dear friend, Marcia Davis, who I am sure got a good laugh at something I said in great ignorance... glad she thought it was sooo funny, but I was dying! Or, you may ask my sister-in-law, Rebecca, who has heard me SEVERAL times say something, then nearly choke to death trying to stuff the words back in my mouth... She's still laughing years later!
Laughter doeth good like a medicine...
I should be pretty healthy then, right?!
So laugh at yourself sometimes!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Late night thinking...
You probably are asking yourself two questions right now as you catch up on my new posts...
One... Why is Sarah up at midnight on her computer?
Two... What's up with the huge map at the top of the blog?
I would be glad to answer those questions for you.
To the first, I think deep thoughts at night when I am not drooling on my pillow. Plus, I had one too many no-bake cookies.
To the second, I thought it was cool when I saw it on other people's blogs.
Then, I thought about how beautiful that map was. Ever since I felt God's calling me into mission's work as a young teenager, I have had fanscinations with world maps! The call to "go into all the world" to tell others of the hope we have in Jesus Christ is sooo exciting. That is one of the reasons Ron and I were so attracted to one another. We both loved souls and felt called to go.
Now, our lives have been like a puzzle. When it is being put together, it doesn't always make sense. But, since we have been married, I have stepped back a few times to get a glimpse of the bigger picture, and have found how beautifully God has wrote our story.
Ron still talks about going to the mission field in the future, but presently we know that Dayton is our mission field. Then, I look at that map, and I think to myself... COOL, we can be world missionaries via our blog.
For obvious reasons, we cannot leave the country right now. It is still possiple that God may see fit to take away my best friend. I just told Ron the other day that he was not allowed to go to Heaven before me and make me do all the work raising our children, while he goes and has fun and enjoys the presence of Jesus! (We've always had strange arguments, but I wasn't really arguing this time!) The Lord knows best, and we have given it over to Him. But, we still dream here and there.
Would you like to hear our love story? Good, 'cause I like to share it.
Ron grew up in the city. He started out life in church, but then, left. By the time he was a teenager, he had gotten so deep into sin... drugs, alcohol, fighting, etc., that he seemed a hopeless case. Now, he was an athlete, and we are talking a VERY good athelete... could have gotten scholorships for his abilities, but his grades were not so great. He ranked fourth in the state in high school as a heavy weight wrestler. (If you are all used to knowing Ron just as a minister, you may laugh now, but he actually once was a very mean guy! When God saved and sanctified Ron, He did a beautiful job on him!)
Ron went to college in Illinios and played football, but life was not what he expected and some of his friends and family members around his age died because of their lifestyle. This was a wake-up call to Ron, and being sick of his sin, one day alone, he repented of his sin, right there on those football bleachers! He got sanctified later as God revealed his need of a cleansed heart from those old desires and habits.
Now, down in "Hickville, USA" (otherwise known as Wheelersburg, Ohio), God was preparing a young lady, country gal, who asked Jesus in her heart at age 8, beside her bed along with her mother. I never tried to the things Ron did, and I thank Jesus for that! As I grew into a teenager, I started giving Jesus my all. I started to realize that He cared about every part of our lives... inside and out. I would spend much time reading the Bible, listening to Christian radio, reading a few books, and when I was about 14, I heard the call to go work for Christ! Would you know that a 20 year old man was about to hear that call!? (Gasp... yes, Ron is 6 years older than me!)
Ron went to GBS, studied in the Mission's Department, became Main Street Chapel's pastor, and visited some mission fields. As the pastor of Main Street, he brought some children to a youth camp down to near this "Hickville, USA", where one evening a 17-18 year old girl came and prayed at the altar about a certain boy she was dating, and knew it was NOT God's will. God also confirmed my mission's call by telling some minister that He had called me! I don't remember talking to Ron that night, but that Fall, I left for GBS!
Fall 1999 I was a little Freshman, and Ron was a Senior. We both were studying the same thing, and I had good friends who liked him, but at first, I didn't notice him.
Then, that wonderful Spring 2000, there was a mission's trip to Tiawan scheduled, and guess who went... Doctor Wingham (who later married Ron and me), his daughter (Debbie), one of my best friends, Rebecca (who eventually married my brother), Ron, and me. That is when the sparks began.
We began a distant friendship that constisted of his greeting me as "grand-daughter" and my calling him "grand-father." Strange story, but we actually called each other that for several years... that is until...
Well, he graduated in 2000 with a BA in Missions, and I graduated in 2001 with an AA in Missions for Nurses(I was only 19, and I think I actually missed a class that should have been taken but somehow got missed! There goes that conscience again! I still graduated, though!) I went off to Nursing School, but had my mind on other things, and didn't give it my best... so, that didn't work out... Then I got this phone call about some missionaries who needed help in New Mexico on the Navajo Reservation! I was still living at GBS... Thanks GBS for letting me stay with you... I really, really liked it there! But, I quickly made arrangements to go live in NM and work with the Yates family, who I did not even know! I was an ACE monitor, and did many odd jobs with them.
Now, would you know that Ron, years before, had gone with a GBS group and helped the Yates' once! Would you know that they could nearly make me blush at the mention of his name. Would you know that back in Dayton, Ohio, there was a guy who had great interest in me, but waited until I was in NM, to start talking to me! He was busy doing ministry in Dayton... he is an excellent bus worker, youth worker, preacher, and loves to do hands-on work at the church (painting, cleaning, etc.) Of course, things have majorly slowed down, but I haven't forgotten his labors, and neither has Jesus.
So, he started writing me (how I remember that first note... yes, he called me granddaughter!), and that first phone call! Then, the calls got long, and we made a couple of trips back and forth to visit one another. I remember our first kiss was on a trip to the Grand Canyon! He proposed to me at my parents' house on New Year's Day. (I was visiting for the holidays.) Of course, I said "yes," and a few months later, I moved back to Ohio, and married Ron on June 14th, 2003.
Now, I wish I could say we got along from the start, but that would be a lie! We were both sooo stubborn, and used to the way we did things. But, for us, we just have gotten to be closer as time has gone by. We really care about one another, and we are best friends, although we still have our moments.
We have been through so much together. We lost our first pregnancy, had several deaths of family and friends, have had a few family issues, etc., but it has brought us closer to one another. Now, we take his cancer one step at a time. It all came on so quickly a few months ago, and things are still difficult.
I have had so many people say they think I am strong, but really, they never have seen my wet pillow. But, I know One Who does, and He will carry us through. For when we are weak, then are we made strong!
Ron has been a role model to me, to be honest. He has taught me what it means to pray. I remember after we first married, watching him pray. I was touched seeing how he wept over souls. He taught me how important it is not to hit and miss reading God's Word. He truly is a student of God's Word! He taught me what it meant to be faithful in Saturday calling. As each of our children were born, he taught me what it meant to have a Godly father who "whoa be to the person who toucheth his daughters"! He loves, I mean, ADORES his little girls! And, his girls love, I mean, ADORE their daddy. So do I! I actually follow him around the house sometimes like a lost puppy... can't help it, I AM IN LOVE WITH HIM!
It is difficult watching my strong warrior struggle... It has not been a walk through the park, but we sure have had alot of people who have told us they are praying for us, churches and individuals have given sacrificially in kindness for us, and God's people and our families have been wonderful... We thank you sooo very much!
Now, we don't know what lies ahead in the next week, weeks, or months... but, I sure want to have my feet planted in Jesus. I don't want to shift with the flow of emotions, other people, or whatever, because it sure can be tempting when times get tough to let things go, but with God's grace, we want to stand firm in what we believe,
and in Christ...
WE STILL PRESS ON!
One... Why is Sarah up at midnight on her computer?
Two... What's up with the huge map at the top of the blog?
I would be glad to answer those questions for you.
To the first, I think deep thoughts at night when I am not drooling on my pillow. Plus, I had one too many no-bake cookies.
To the second, I thought it was cool when I saw it on other people's blogs.
Then, I thought about how beautiful that map was. Ever since I felt God's calling me into mission's work as a young teenager, I have had fanscinations with world maps! The call to "go into all the world" to tell others of the hope we have in Jesus Christ is sooo exciting. That is one of the reasons Ron and I were so attracted to one another. We both loved souls and felt called to go.
Now, our lives have been like a puzzle. When it is being put together, it doesn't always make sense. But, since we have been married, I have stepped back a few times to get a glimpse of the bigger picture, and have found how beautifully God has wrote our story.
Ron still talks about going to the mission field in the future, but presently we know that Dayton is our mission field. Then, I look at that map, and I think to myself... COOL, we can be world missionaries via our blog.
For obvious reasons, we cannot leave the country right now. It is still possiple that God may see fit to take away my best friend. I just told Ron the other day that he was not allowed to go to Heaven before me and make me do all the work raising our children, while he goes and has fun and enjoys the presence of Jesus! (We've always had strange arguments, but I wasn't really arguing this time!) The Lord knows best, and we have given it over to Him. But, we still dream here and there.
Would you like to hear our love story? Good, 'cause I like to share it.
Ron grew up in the city. He started out life in church, but then, left. By the time he was a teenager, he had gotten so deep into sin... drugs, alcohol, fighting, etc., that he seemed a hopeless case. Now, he was an athlete, and we are talking a VERY good athelete... could have gotten scholorships for his abilities, but his grades were not so great. He ranked fourth in the state in high school as a heavy weight wrestler. (If you are all used to knowing Ron just as a minister, you may laugh now, but he actually once was a very mean guy! When God saved and sanctified Ron, He did a beautiful job on him!)
Ron went to college in Illinios and played football, but life was not what he expected and some of his friends and family members around his age died because of their lifestyle. This was a wake-up call to Ron, and being sick of his sin, one day alone, he repented of his sin, right there on those football bleachers! He got sanctified later as God revealed his need of a cleansed heart from those old desires and habits.
Now, down in "Hickville, USA" (otherwise known as Wheelersburg, Ohio), God was preparing a young lady, country gal, who asked Jesus in her heart at age 8, beside her bed along with her mother. I never tried to the things Ron did, and I thank Jesus for that! As I grew into a teenager, I started giving Jesus my all. I started to realize that He cared about every part of our lives... inside and out. I would spend much time reading the Bible, listening to Christian radio, reading a few books, and when I was about 14, I heard the call to go work for Christ! Would you know that a 20 year old man was about to hear that call!? (Gasp... yes, Ron is 6 years older than me!)
Ron went to GBS, studied in the Mission's Department, became Main Street Chapel's pastor, and visited some mission fields. As the pastor of Main Street, he brought some children to a youth camp down to near this "Hickville, USA", where one evening a 17-18 year old girl came and prayed at the altar about a certain boy she was dating, and knew it was NOT God's will. God also confirmed my mission's call by telling some minister that He had called me! I don't remember talking to Ron that night, but that Fall, I left for GBS!
Fall 1999 I was a little Freshman, and Ron was a Senior. We both were studying the same thing, and I had good friends who liked him, but at first, I didn't notice him.
Then, that wonderful Spring 2000, there was a mission's trip to Tiawan scheduled, and guess who went... Doctor Wingham (who later married Ron and me), his daughter (Debbie), one of my best friends, Rebecca (who eventually married my brother), Ron, and me. That is when the sparks began.
We began a distant friendship that constisted of his greeting me as "grand-daughter" and my calling him "grand-father." Strange story, but we actually called each other that for several years... that is until...
Well, he graduated in 2000 with a BA in Missions, and I graduated in 2001 with an AA in Missions for Nurses(I was only 19, and I think I actually missed a class that should have been taken but somehow got missed! There goes that conscience again! I still graduated, though!) I went off to Nursing School, but had my mind on other things, and didn't give it my best... so, that didn't work out... Then I got this phone call about some missionaries who needed help in New Mexico on the Navajo Reservation! I was still living at GBS... Thanks GBS for letting me stay with you... I really, really liked it there! But, I quickly made arrangements to go live in NM and work with the Yates family, who I did not even know! I was an ACE monitor, and did many odd jobs with them.
Now, would you know that Ron, years before, had gone with a GBS group and helped the Yates' once! Would you know that they could nearly make me blush at the mention of his name. Would you know that back in Dayton, Ohio, there was a guy who had great interest in me, but waited until I was in NM, to start talking to me! He was busy doing ministry in Dayton... he is an excellent bus worker, youth worker, preacher, and loves to do hands-on work at the church (painting, cleaning, etc.) Of course, things have majorly slowed down, but I haven't forgotten his labors, and neither has Jesus.
So, he started writing me (how I remember that first note... yes, he called me granddaughter!), and that first phone call! Then, the calls got long, and we made a couple of trips back and forth to visit one another. I remember our first kiss was on a trip to the Grand Canyon! He proposed to me at my parents' house on New Year's Day. (I was visiting for the holidays.) Of course, I said "yes," and a few months later, I moved back to Ohio, and married Ron on June 14th, 2003.
Now, I wish I could say we got along from the start, but that would be a lie! We were both sooo stubborn, and used to the way we did things. But, for us, we just have gotten to be closer as time has gone by. We really care about one another, and we are best friends, although we still have our moments.
We have been through so much together. We lost our first pregnancy, had several deaths of family and friends, have had a few family issues, etc., but it has brought us closer to one another. Now, we take his cancer one step at a time. It all came on so quickly a few months ago, and things are still difficult.
I have had so many people say they think I am strong, but really, they never have seen my wet pillow. But, I know One Who does, and He will carry us through. For when we are weak, then are we made strong!
Ron has been a role model to me, to be honest. He has taught me what it means to pray. I remember after we first married, watching him pray. I was touched seeing how he wept over souls. He taught me how important it is not to hit and miss reading God's Word. He truly is a student of God's Word! He taught me what it meant to be faithful in Saturday calling. As each of our children were born, he taught me what it meant to have a Godly father who "whoa be to the person who toucheth his daughters"! He loves, I mean, ADORES his little girls! And, his girls love, I mean, ADORE their daddy. So do I! I actually follow him around the house sometimes like a lost puppy... can't help it, I AM IN LOVE WITH HIM!
It is difficult watching my strong warrior struggle... It has not been a walk through the park, but we sure have had alot of people who have told us they are praying for us, churches and individuals have given sacrificially in kindness for us, and God's people and our families have been wonderful... We thank you sooo very much!
Now, we don't know what lies ahead in the next week, weeks, or months... but, I sure want to have my feet planted in Jesus. I don't want to shift with the flow of emotions, other people, or whatever, because it sure can be tempting when times get tough to let things go, but with God's grace, we want to stand firm in what we believe,
and in Christ...
WE STILL PRESS ON!
A little of this, a little of that! [With a few add-ons since I first posted it!]
Which Bible story do you think Faith was drawing about here?
IHC... and, my daughter, Faith's, first opportunity to sing in the children's mass choir! She is the little tiny girl in black near the piano. [added later: That is the picture on the right. She is not at the very end; she is kind-of behind that microphone. Sorry the pictures are so dark!]
This is just two photos of what happens at our house when it rains alot! This is just the sides of the yard! This picture was taken a few weeks ago!
A little on the dark side, but the is a picture of me and Ron on the day of his grandfather's funeral.
Playing with Charity's new bubble machine (on the white lawn chair). You may not be able to see the bubbles, but that little machine can put them out! This was a birthday gift to Charity from the Manley family. [Actually this picture is beautiful if you click on it to enlarge it... and, you can see the bubbles just fine!]
Yes, life does get weary at times. We found out today that the biopsy that they are going to take will be different than the one originally planned. They plan now to do one through the chest instead of cutting his neck and going down the trach to the smaller mass. They are going to go for the larger one, that I believe is not far from the aorta... this surgery may cause a callapse of the lung, and will require an overnight stay.
Ron's wonderful sister, Shenna, and her three children.
Ron, his dad (whose name is also Ron), and little Faithy in our canoe, at Ceasar's Creek.
Me, the great photographer
The fishermen and Faith in the canoe again.
Little Charity waiting her turn to go for a canoe ride. Her jean skirt is a little on the short side, and do I see a bellybutton? She is a doll!
Did I ever mention that Baby Hope rolled over for the first time at only 16 days of age (front to back)! Now she is working on the back to front!
As promised, Baby Hope, from a SEVERAL weeks ago!
[Another add-on... hopefully, those who have already read this post will catch these floating add-ons... but, Faith just learned how to ride a bike, I think it was on Saturday. She had already learned the tricycle a little while back, but now she did a bike with training wheels! I was so proud of her!]
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Update
The doctors in Columbus talked, then they communicated with Ron's oncologist, then Ron and I met with his doctor. This is the plan at this time. Ron is to go in Monday to meet with a surgeon, who is planning to cut Ron under the throat, and put a scope down the chest to get a biopsy of one of the small masses (lymph nodes) in his chest. They want to see if it is still cancer and not scar tissue (hopefully, it is scar tissue!) before they do anything drastic! If it is negative, they will probably just finish his chemo treatments as previously planned, and maybe do a little radiation. However, if it positive, then it looks like we will be sent to the Cleveland Clinic for yet another opinion. If they decide that the stem-cell transplant is the route, as well, then, it looks like they will give him some different, and strong, chemotherapy before they admit him into the hospital. It sounds like things are going to move quickly, so I am putting on my seat belt for the the ride. The cool thing is that our insurance will reimburse us for gas and hotel expenses for Ron and me. They would even pay for it if we flew to Cleveland (don't think we would do that though).
For those who don't understand the long hospital stay, allow me to try to explain a little. This is IF they do the transplant. First, they have to up the chemo (they fear the cancer cells are building a resistance to the chemo he is currently taking, known as ABVD, which is the standard treatment for the Hodgkin's patient. This is unusual, as typically a patient either does not respond or does and it is gone. However, he responded well, but now seems to be going backwards). They would remove his own stem cells, and freeze them. Then, they will admit him in either Cleveland or OSU for the high dose chemo with stem cell support. For six days, they said, they would give him this high dose treatments, then give him back his stem cells. They would have to watch him for probably around12 days, to be sure he does not develop an infection, as the treatments will basically wipe out his white blood count. I don't think the doctor really wants Ron to go through this, so I think he would like to try something else if Cleveland can give us another plan... this treatment is seriously tough on the body, and it will be awhile before he would recover.
Ron was anointed last night at church. It is all in God's hands, His will is what we want.
Thanks for praying!
For those who don't understand the long hospital stay, allow me to try to explain a little. This is IF they do the transplant. First, they have to up the chemo (they fear the cancer cells are building a resistance to the chemo he is currently taking, known as ABVD, which is the standard treatment for the Hodgkin's patient. This is unusual, as typically a patient either does not respond or does and it is gone. However, he responded well, but now seems to be going backwards). They would remove his own stem cells, and freeze them. Then, they will admit him in either Cleveland or OSU for the high dose chemo with stem cell support. For six days, they said, they would give him this high dose treatments, then give him back his stem cells. They would have to watch him for probably around12 days, to be sure he does not develop an infection, as the treatments will basically wipe out his white blood count. I don't think the doctor really wants Ron to go through this, so I think he would like to try something else if Cleveland can give us another plan... this treatment is seriously tough on the body, and it will be awhile before he would recover.
Ron was anointed last night at church. It is all in God's hands, His will is what we want.
Thanks for praying!
Monday, April 21, 2008
MY LIFE IS IN YOUR HANDS
Well, I have returned to the world of blogging. Please, excuse the long absence! It has been an extremely busy couple of weeks. There was...
- a marriage conference (which was a great blessing!),
- IHC (so nice to see many of my fellow blogging friends in person!),
- several doctor's appointments (good for my children and not so good for hubby),
- a Collingsworth concert (pretty fun... but, interesting with three children... and, it was after this concert that I actually learned that a word I have used actually does not mean what I thought it did... it was not a nice word, and I never knew that! Long story, and very humbling!) Thank you John and Melissa Ritchey for inviting us!,
- church services (so nice to hear Brother Sams on Sunday night, although I did not get to hear the whole sermon),
- a two year old's birthday party (my little Charity),
- Ron's grandfather's funeral (which Ron preached),
- guests (my children have LOVED our company the past couple of weeks!),
- and, many other things that kept us hopping!
I am sure that many of you are wondering about Ron. And, you deserve to know since you all have been praying and so caring! Well, it is pretty lengthy to explain, so I will try to give you a quick version. His PET scan still shows activity, and possibly it is worse in the lymph nodes in the chest area, but other areas look better. (It has to do with sugar uptake numbers, and a bunch of stuff I don't feel like explaining and researching right now.) This means we got to take a trip to Columbus this morning for a second opinion. It looks like they may do more aggressive chemo treatments and ending with a three to four week hospital stay in the summer at Ohio State University Hospital for "high dose chemotherapy with a stem cell transplant." The road looks long and scary, but he still has a "50, 60, or 70%" chance of complete remission... yeah, that is a wide range, but that is what the doc said! These people are HIGHLY professional, and are consulting with several other doctors on Ron's specific case. You may do your research, as it would take me a while to type the details of this procedure.
Now, I know you would like to see pictures of the past couple of weeks, and I actually have several video clips to share, but, you know my computer has issues, so I will have to share those in another post!
Thanks for your prayers and love!
- a marriage conference (which was a great blessing!),
- IHC (so nice to see many of my fellow blogging friends in person!),
- several doctor's appointments (good for my children and not so good for hubby),
- a Collingsworth concert (pretty fun... but, interesting with three children... and, it was after this concert that I actually learned that a word I have used actually does not mean what I thought it did... it was not a nice word, and I never knew that! Long story, and very humbling!) Thank you John and Melissa Ritchey for inviting us!,
- church services (so nice to hear Brother Sams on Sunday night, although I did not get to hear the whole sermon),
- a two year old's birthday party (my little Charity),
- Ron's grandfather's funeral (which Ron preached),
- guests (my children have LOVED our company the past couple of weeks!),
- and, many other things that kept us hopping!
Thank you to those who did babysit, and do things to help us pull through these past two weeks!
Thank you, Franklin Bible Methodist Church for the VERY kind gift you gave our family! We hope to use it soon!I am sure that many of you are wondering about Ron. And, you deserve to know since you all have been praying and so caring! Well, it is pretty lengthy to explain, so I will try to give you a quick version. His PET scan still shows activity, and possibly it is worse in the lymph nodes in the chest area, but other areas look better. (It has to do with sugar uptake numbers, and a bunch of stuff I don't feel like explaining and researching right now.) This means we got to take a trip to Columbus this morning for a second opinion. It looks like they may do more aggressive chemo treatments and ending with a three to four week hospital stay in the summer at Ohio State University Hospital for "high dose chemotherapy with a stem cell transplant." The road looks long and scary, but he still has a "50, 60, or 70%" chance of complete remission... yeah, that is a wide range, but that is what the doc said! These people are HIGHLY professional, and are consulting with several other doctors on Ron's specific case. You may do your research, as it would take me a while to type the details of this procedure.
Now, I know you would like to see pictures of the past couple of weeks, and I actually have several video clips to share, but, you know my computer has issues, so I will have to share those in another post!
Thanks for your prayers and love!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
One day at a time...
Please pray for Ron as he goes later this week for another PET scan. If it is clear, then he should be done with chemo in the middle of May; if not, then, they plan to add two more months to the treatment plan.
A fun thing that we have planned in the near future for the teen girls is a Ladies Lock-in! Got some "special" devotionals, games, food, and much fun planned! I am excited about it! We are planning it to be May 9. Hope we have a good turn-out!
Today is ending a bit sad, as Ron's Papaw Jaynes passed away today. We had heard that he wasn't doing well. Not sure of the arrangements yet. Please, pray for the family!
It's a busy week this week, with Charity's birthday on Friday, and then on Saturday, Ron and I are planning to go to a marriage conference. That should be fun, I like those types of things... gives me a special day with hubby.
If I lack in posting for a few days, there is much going on, but I will plan to update you with Ron's results when we get them!
Update: Ron is scheduled to preach his grandfather's funeral Thursday (same day as Ron's PET scan.) This is the third funeral in his family that he has been asked to preach. He also married this grandfather and his wife, Mary. A couple of years ago, he also had the honor of marrying one of his cousins. Ron has been able to minister to both his mom's and dad's sides of the family. Please, pray for him as he prepares, and pray for the family as they grieve.
A fun thing that we have planned in the near future for the teen girls is a Ladies Lock-in! Got some "special" devotionals, games, food, and much fun planned! I am excited about it! We are planning it to be May 9. Hope we have a good turn-out!
Today is ending a bit sad, as Ron's Papaw Jaynes passed away today. We had heard that he wasn't doing well. Not sure of the arrangements yet. Please, pray for the family!
It's a busy week this week, with Charity's birthday on Friday, and then on Saturday, Ron and I are planning to go to a marriage conference. That should be fun, I like those types of things... gives me a special day with hubby.
If I lack in posting for a few days, there is much going on, but I will plan to update you with Ron's results when we get them!
Update: Ron is scheduled to preach his grandfather's funeral Thursday (same day as Ron's PET scan.) This is the third funeral in his family that he has been asked to preach. He also married this grandfather and his wife, Mary. A couple of years ago, he also had the honor of marrying one of his cousins. Ron has been able to minister to both his mom's and dad's sides of the family. Please, pray for him as he prepares, and pray for the family as they grieve.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
From the mouths of babes...
Tonight, Ron was wrestling around and playing with the girls, which they love! Faith can hardly get enough... Charity likes to cuddle a little more than wrestle, but she get caught away in the excitement of it all!
Well, after playing like this for a while this evening, he decided to drill Faith with questions. Here is a bit of that conversation. It went something like this:
Ron: What is your name?
Faith: Thaith (cute lisp)
Ron: How old are you?
Faith: Two... three (not quite sure at that moment)
Ron: When is your birthday?
Faith: July 6 (very good!)
Ron: Who is your God?
Faith: Jesus (Wow! Was so glad to hear that answer.)
Ron: Whose your daddy?
Faith: Daddy (typical)
Ron: Where do you live?
Faith: To the place of honor (Not sure what that meant)
Ron: Who is your favorite dog?
Faith: He doesn't talk... he is a toy one (we only have a pet fish named Elmo)
Ron: Where do you go to church?
Faith: Sunday School (good enough)
The conversation was longer, and humorous with a list of her "friends" real and made up, and her teachers being Brother and Sister Manley, and so forth.
The other day, Charity was asked to do something at the table... not sure if it was to pray or say a mannerly word like "thanks" or "please," but instead, she exclaimed in toddler terms that she had relieved herself. It would have been embarrassing if company was present.
The fun of having little tots!
Well, after playing like this for a while this evening, he decided to drill Faith with questions. Here is a bit of that conversation. It went something like this:
Ron: What is your name?
Faith: Thaith (cute lisp)
Ron: How old are you?
Faith: Two... three (not quite sure at that moment)
Ron: When is your birthday?
Faith: July 6 (very good!)
Ron: Who is your God?
Faith: Jesus (Wow! Was so glad to hear that answer.)
Ron: Whose your daddy?
Faith: Daddy (typical)
Ron: Where do you live?
Faith: To the place of honor (Not sure what that meant)
Ron: Who is your favorite dog?
Faith: He doesn't talk... he is a toy one (we only have a pet fish named Elmo)
Ron: Where do you go to church?
Faith: Sunday School (good enough)
The conversation was longer, and humorous with a list of her "friends" real and made up, and her teachers being Brother and Sister Manley, and so forth.
The other day, Charity was asked to do something at the table... not sure if it was to pray or say a mannerly word like "thanks" or "please," but instead, she exclaimed in toddler terms that she had relieved herself. It would have been embarrassing if company was present.
The fun of having little tots!
Friday, March 28, 2008
Please, don't share...
germs! Yes, there has been a passing of germs around here! Again! Such is life with little ones sometimes!
I must apologize for not getting that video fixed of my little Hope. It is so adorable, and I want to share it with you all, so I will plan to get that fixed eventually. It just takes so long to upload, and I am so often in a hurry. I know I haven't updated for a while, so here is a quick one... not so fun news first, then you can enjoy the fun stuff afterward.
We've all taken turns being under the weather... even my little Hope. Between the combination of Hope's sad cold, Charity's vomiting a couple of times, Faithy's complaining of a bellyache, my stomach ache and serious drained feeling, and Ron's critically low blood count... we've had a time of it... but, we are amazingly active for a sick bunch! The two older girls seem to be well now, and I am making the baby sleep a lot! Sleep seems to help bodies heal so much faster! I even slept part of the day away myself... couldn't help it, I felt robbed of life and even had trouble walking straight! I feel a little better now! Guess it's a flu thing. I don't want to embarrass Ron by saying too much, but I would appreciate you all praying for him because he is a bit more tired and weaker due to the wear and tear of the chemo that he is still taking every other week. He has been so tough this far. He is scheduled to preach at our church Sunday night and he seems to be excited about whatever it is he feels led to preach about. He had a few days off work because of Spring break, and that helps one to get some extra rest!
Here is another one of Faith's cute thoughts...
It was time for bed one night when Faith said something like this:
"When I get up from taking a nap, can Mommy, Daddy, Faithy, and Charity go to Heaven? Maybe I could take my blanket, pillow, and bed with me. That would be too heavy for me. Maybe I could sleep on the disciples' beds."
That was so cute!
Now she has been playing "crucifixion," too. She has "crucified" my guests, her dolls, and her Daddy. Someday, she will understand the real pain that went with Jesus' death, and His wonderful love for her. Right now, she is really into Bible stories and acting them out. My children's ages are so fun, and exhausting at the same time. They say some of the cutest things, and sometimes the most embarrassing. Faith is so open with people and says what she thinks, while Charity is generally more reserved and shy, but very good at letting us know she has a "need." Charity is talking so well. It looks funny, because she is so tiny, she doesn't look like she should be just walking and talking so well. She is my petite one right now. Hope is now 15 pounds, and only 3 1/2 months old! I can loose just about any bad mood when I see her smiling so beautifully at me. It is so incredible to have these little people's utmost trust in me. May God help me do my best to show them His love and kindness. It sure does get tough to be patient with them, and often I fail in that area. I know I am blessed with fantastic children and an awesome husband. For this, once again, I give thanks!
update: He is now scheduled to preach in the morning instead of evening tomorrow.
I must apologize for not getting that video fixed of my little Hope. It is so adorable, and I want to share it with you all, so I will plan to get that fixed eventually. It just takes so long to upload, and I am so often in a hurry. I know I haven't updated for a while, so here is a quick one... not so fun news first, then you can enjoy the fun stuff afterward.
We've all taken turns being under the weather... even my little Hope. Between the combination of Hope's sad cold, Charity's vomiting a couple of times, Faithy's complaining of a bellyache, my stomach ache and serious drained feeling, and Ron's critically low blood count... we've had a time of it... but, we are amazingly active for a sick bunch! The two older girls seem to be well now, and I am making the baby sleep a lot! Sleep seems to help bodies heal so much faster! I even slept part of the day away myself... couldn't help it, I felt robbed of life and even had trouble walking straight! I feel a little better now! Guess it's a flu thing. I don't want to embarrass Ron by saying too much, but I would appreciate you all praying for him because he is a bit more tired and weaker due to the wear and tear of the chemo that he is still taking every other week. He has been so tough this far. He is scheduled to preach at our church Sunday night and he seems to be excited about whatever it is he feels led to preach about. He had a few days off work because of Spring break, and that helps one to get some extra rest!
Here is another one of Faith's cute thoughts...
It was time for bed one night when Faith said something like this:
"When I get up from taking a nap, can Mommy, Daddy, Faithy, and Charity go to Heaven? Maybe I could take my blanket, pillow, and bed with me. That would be too heavy for me. Maybe I could sleep on the disciples' beds."
That was so cute!
Now she has been playing "crucifixion," too. She has "crucified" my guests, her dolls, and her Daddy. Someday, she will understand the real pain that went with Jesus' death, and His wonderful love for her. Right now, she is really into Bible stories and acting them out. My children's ages are so fun, and exhausting at the same time. They say some of the cutest things, and sometimes the most embarrassing. Faith is so open with people and says what she thinks, while Charity is generally more reserved and shy, but very good at letting us know she has a "need." Charity is talking so well. It looks funny, because she is so tiny, she doesn't look like she should be just walking and talking so well. She is my petite one right now. Hope is now 15 pounds, and only 3 1/2 months old! I can loose just about any bad mood when I see her smiling so beautifully at me. It is so incredible to have these little people's utmost trust in me. May God help me do my best to show them His love and kindness. It sure does get tough to be patient with them, and often I fail in that area. I know I am blessed with fantastic children and an awesome husband. For this, once again, I give thanks!
update: He is now scheduled to preach in the morning instead of evening tomorrow.
Monday, March 17, 2008
When a three year old draws, Hope Christiana, and the soon-to-be two year old!
Can you guess what this is? My little Faith drew it! She says its an elephant. I think it is very good for a three year old. Then, the other day, she drew Jesus on the cross, and the two theives! It was very well done, as well! She has finally figured out how to put arms and a body on her "people," which used to only have a head and legs and feet!
Charity turns two next month! Can you believe it?! Time has flown by WAY to quickly! She is a good little talker, too, but a little shy!
This is a video of my happy little baby! She smiles so much! You just can't help to squeeze her! She just recently started a type of laugh that just gets you in the heart! All Ron or I have to do to get her to smile sometimes is to just look at her or speak to her, then she melts our hearts! The other day I was really down, and her little smile cheered me. Then, I remembered her name... HOPE! Yes, we do have hope! Thank God!
We had a few young people overnight at our house from UBC! And, it was so much fun! May God bless their choir tour! I even knew on of the girls from back in my New Mexico missions' days! It was nice seeing a few other young people I recognized as well! Only I remember some of them from their teen days.
Well, we have a youth event scheduled tonight, so I best be going! Keep in touch, y'all! And, thank you for praying for us!
(Please, be patient as I try to get the video going. Thanks!)
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Testing... testing... one, two, three...
I have been messing around with my computer, and here I was finally able to pull up a picture from my new camera! Yea! I have learned today many things, including the fact that you can click on a picture and see it much larger! Don't laugh, I really did just figure some little things out today! I am sooo glad, although my computer is a little slow, it does work!
This is my happy driver! When he first had his surgery and a little before, I was HIS driver. Now, he has the doctor's permission to drive and I am sure he is very glad! ;-)
Our adventurous past couple of weeks...
Thanks to an email from a relative of a friend, I have been able to fix some of my posting problems... Thank you, Elisabeth D! I still have problems posting certain pictures on my blog from my computer, and they just so happen to be the pictures that are taken with my new camara. A friend of ours, Jerry A., stopped by one day to check out our computer, and he and his wife believe the pictures are "too big" for our computer to handle. I guess some pictures are heaver than others. They think they might be able to help me out with that, too. Thanks again to my new friend who helped my figure out the other problem!
A rest stop
The Washington Monument at night (below)
I believe the above picture is the Lincoln Memorial.
The White House
Another cool looking building
the great theatre where we saw "Daniel and the Lions Den"
My beautiful family!
Don't ask... just found it interesting!
Bus Convention (nursery) and hotel pictures (above)
The BIG BLIZZARD (below)
No, my girls do not usually wear pants out, but I figured a snow adventure might call for a snow suit for the toddler age since a little snow certianly measures up on their little legs... just for those of you who might be confused by the change of dress. Still hold to the belief in girls being dressed like girls... as found in Dueteronomy. Just not sure how else to keep them so warm in the snow.
Below is my first video to be put on my blog! I know that it is really dark, but we were in Washington, D.C.
A rest stop
The Washington Monument at night (below)
I believe the above picture is the Lincoln Memorial.
The White House
Another cool looking building
the great theatre where we saw "Daniel and the Lions Den"
My beautiful family!
Don't ask... just found it interesting!
Bus Convention (nursery) and hotel pictures (above)
The BIG BLIZZARD (below)
No, my girls do not usually wear pants out, but I figured a snow adventure might call for a snow suit for the toddler age since a little snow certianly measures up on their little legs... just for those of you who might be confused by the change of dress. Still hold to the belief in girls being dressed like girls... as found in Dueteronomy. Just not sure how else to keep them so warm in the snow.
Below is my first video to be put on my blog! I know that it is really dark, but we were in Washington, D.C.
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