Updates

Sorry it's been so long, alot's been going on. Here's the short version:
Dad got the last of the radiation on his lung, and the doctor said he was very optimistic that the cancer was not gone, but arrested (which means that the tumor is isolated with no chance of growth, kinda smothered if you will). He had a few good weeks with that, then he started forgetting alot of stuff, long term, and short term. It would take him forever to finish a sentence. Well then he started falling all the time. Mostly at night was the hardest b/c mom didn't know he would get up, he wouldn't remember where he was, and would ultimately fall back asleep on the floor until she woke up to find him. We took him to the doctor (hospital) and the neurologist diagnosed him with demintia (we feel like it was induced from the radiation to the brain). Mom still felt she could handle the illness at home. He started falling more and more often, almost nightly. The last time, mom called me up at 5:30 in the morning, and said she and my brother had tried to get him up for the last hour, and couldn't do it. She called 911, and they came and got him up, took him to the ER, and made sure he broke nothing. There in the ER, mom finally came to the realization that she couldn't keep him safe any longer, so we (mom, my sister and I) came to the conclusion to put him in a nursing home. He has been there for 2 weeks now, and on the days he knows what's going on, he's ok with it. He says they treat him like a king. But on the days where he is confused, he don't want to be there. He gets lonely, even though my sister, mom and I visit him daily. So pray. We don't know if he's going to have to be there the rest of his life, or if this is temporary.......The doctors are also worried that the cancer may be back, based on his xrays from the last fall. They aren't going to scan anymore b/c they said even if it is back, there is nothing they can medically do for the cancer, as we have exhausted all our treatment options already. So I guess in this case, ignorance may be bliss......

Gustav

Thank you Jesus that you spared our lives, our house, and our business from the hands of Gustav! Please help those not so fortunate, and please help us to remember the blessings You gave us!

Busy summer.....

Sorry about not blogging so much, my summer has been JAM PACKED! I'm sure you can understand that with 5 kids, I didn't have much time to breathe, let alone blog! More to come later!

What Nick said when asked about his trip to Honduras

"I learned that if you want something, you can't sit back and wait for it to be handed to you, go get it, and when you do get it, don't hold onto it, give it away."

Wow, how do I even try and follow that with anything but WOW!

All is Well

God is so faithful, even in the smallest things, my husband, my rock, my soulmate, my partner, my best friend sent me this just a second ago, it is awesome! Thank you babe, I needed that!
All Is Well
Death is nothing at all, I have only slipped into the next room.
I am I and you are you
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by my old familiar name,
Speak to me in the easy way which you always used
Put no difference in your tone,
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household world that it always was,
Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It it the same as it ever was, there is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near,
Just around the corner.
All is well.


We will spend more time in eternity than we do in this flash of an instance of our so called life.

Life

You know what sucks? The end. The end of movies, the end of relationships, the end of a favorite piece of candy, the end of a loved ones life. My dad got his results back from his last scan. The news was not good. I'm slowly losing my daddy. I hate this for me, mom, my siblings, but most of all, my kids. Emma broke down for the first time since he was diagnosed on the way home last night. I can't fix this hurt because I have it too. I wish I could. I hate that I'm now talking funeral arrangements with my dad instead of vacation plans. I hate that Michael won't know him, learn from him, love him like I do. I need your prayers, I know this won't go away, so now I ask that you pray for it to become easier to handle. Right now, not so much. I feel like I'm losing my mind.

coming home

This is so bittersweet. We come home today. I've met some amazing people from Ms that came with us, and I hate to part from them. They are so great, and feel like a part of my family now. It's also sad because Nick don't want to come home. He feels such a connection with the kids here that he was so put out yesterday everytime he thought of coming home. Oh well, who knows, maybe God is working on him for his calling? All I can do is trust that if God wants him here, he'll make Jope and I alright with it when the time comes (50-60 years from now LOL)! Anyway, I cant wait to come home. I love u babe, and miss my kids!

so tired

I'm so tired. I find it that on the end of a trip like this, you tend to lose focus. You wake up, hit the ground running, and don't stop until you pass out at night. That's when the enemy sneaks in. Let's not forget to stay in the word, and on our knees during our most tired times, because that's when we are going to need the armor of God the most! Will blog more later, but for now, a little light reading in my fav book, and then some much needed siesta! I love you!