This is the one thing we love most about you Daddy, that you spend time with us!
We love you very much!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Our Daddy!
This is the one thing we love most about you Daddy, that you spend time with us!
We love you very much!
The Lord is with me.
I was recently reading a little daily devo book by Lisa Whelchel called "Speaking mom-ese". I love reading her stuff because she has a passion for moms and the stage of life that involves little ones. She has creative ideas for discipline, and just about any other thing we deal with on a daily basis. I really like her book "Creative Correction" because there are tons of ideas and she puts a touch of humor with it too.
This recent chapter (which are short and easy to read if you have a 3 minute break!), was talking about how the Lord is our daddy. She based it off of Psalm 23 and then wrote her own version of the Psalm. Here is the original Psalm which is a great reminder where our ultimate source of life should be from!
Psalm 23
"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside still waters,
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness,
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear NO evil, for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Here is Lisa Whelchel's own version which reminded me again of where I need to do every day to find rest and peace.
"The Lord is my Daddy, I will be loved and adored.
I crawl up into His lap and am safely wrapped in His arms.
I lay my head against His heart and find rest for my mind, body, & soul.
I learn to trust.
I take His hand; He holds mine, and we walk together through my life.
Surely I will face fear, hurt, disappointment, and loss,
but You are bigger than any ugly monster hiding under my bed.
I will not be afraid of the Dark,
Because you are the Light.
I don't even think about tomorrow,
what I will eat, wear, or where I will live,
because you are my Abba.
I don't need to worry;
You will take good care of me-
I am your little girl!
You are the Father of my future,
and You have blessings and hope planned for me.
You enjoy giving me good gifts.
I make You smile when I dance
with giddy thanksgiving in Your presence."
I am praying this for myself and also for all of you who read this today. I pray you will be reminded of how much God loves you and that He is with you in EVERY step of your journey!
This recent chapter (which are short and easy to read if you have a 3 minute break!), was talking about how the Lord is our daddy. She based it off of Psalm 23 and then wrote her own version of the Psalm. Here is the original Psalm which is a great reminder where our ultimate source of life should be from!
Psalm 23
"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside still waters,
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness,
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear NO evil, for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Here is Lisa Whelchel's own version which reminded me again of where I need to do every day to find rest and peace.
"The Lord is my Daddy, I will be loved and adored.
I crawl up into His lap and am safely wrapped in His arms.
I lay my head against His heart and find rest for my mind, body, & soul.
I learn to trust.
I take His hand; He holds mine, and we walk together through my life.
Surely I will face fear, hurt, disappointment, and loss,
but You are bigger than any ugly monster hiding under my bed.
I will not be afraid of the Dark,
Because you are the Light.
I don't even think about tomorrow,
what I will eat, wear, or where I will live,
because you are my Abba.
I don't need to worry;
You will take good care of me-
I am your little girl!
You are the Father of my future,
and You have blessings and hope planned for me.
You enjoy giving me good gifts.
I make You smile when I dance
with giddy thanksgiving in Your presence."
I am praying this for myself and also for all of you who read this today. I pray you will be reminded of how much God loves you and that He is with you in EVERY step of your journey!
Friday, June 18, 2010
The future Mr. Professor!
Our sweet boy needed glasses! At his 18 month check-up his pediatrician noticed that his left eye wasn't quite right. She sent us to a pediatric opthomologist and she was shocked that his pediatrician caught it. If it went untreated, he could potentially start losing sight in that eye. The brain would start using his strong eye more and the weak eye could shut down. So....the first step is to wear glasses for at least a month and then reevaluate his eyes. He did pretty well for his first day of wearing them! It seems that if he is distracted, he doesn't try to take them off. I could also tell that he seems to be seeing things better. 
He loved the candy we gave him when he first put them on!
So cute if I do say so myself!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
What a mighty God we serve!
"The Lord longs to be gracious to me; He rises to show me compassion. Blessed are all who wait for Him!" Isaiah 30:18
Wow... I am just thankful beyond measure! I got the call from my doctor's nurse yesterday morning and the scan showed no other cancer anywhere! The iodine treatment went right to the thyroid area which is where it was supposed to go. It was such a relief to hear that news. All of my fears just melted away and a part of me wondered why I ever doubted. I wanted God to answer my prayers that I would not have any more cancer. But we were ready in case He decided to take us on a different road. That road being having more cancer somewhere else. While this journey is far from over, at least the fear of not being able to see my kids grow up is gone for now! He definitely has been with me EVERY step of the way.
This makes me just plain happy! I have learned so much about the difference between joy and happiness. I have had joy deep in my soul through this whole thing. That joy only coming from Christ. I have not always been happy on the outside though. Circumstances can do that to you! My prayer is that I will allow that deep and authentic joy that comes from Christ to spill out more in my everyday life.
The next steps involve having blood tests until my medications are regulated and then continuing to get stronger physically. The road leads up right now!
PRAISE THE LORD WITH ME TODAY!
Wow... I am just thankful beyond measure! I got the call from my doctor's nurse yesterday morning and the scan showed no other cancer anywhere! The iodine treatment went right to the thyroid area which is where it was supposed to go. It was such a relief to hear that news. All of my fears just melted away and a part of me wondered why I ever doubted. I wanted God to answer my prayers that I would not have any more cancer. But we were ready in case He decided to take us on a different road. That road being having more cancer somewhere else. While this journey is far from over, at least the fear of not being able to see my kids grow up is gone for now! He definitely has been with me EVERY step of the way.
This makes me just plain happy! I have learned so much about the difference between joy and happiness. I have had joy deep in my soul through this whole thing. That joy only coming from Christ. I have not always been happy on the outside though. Circumstances can do that to you! My prayer is that I will allow that deep and authentic joy that comes from Christ to spill out more in my everyday life.
The next steps involve having blood tests until my medications are regulated and then continuing to get stronger physically. The road leads up right now!
PRAISE THE LORD WITH ME TODAY!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Our 10th Anniversary
We were so excited to finally celebrate our Anniversary! The actual day was the 27th but I was in seclusion! We had a great day just being together! We went to the park where Shawn proposed and played a game of Quiddler which I walloped him in..he he...:)
Then we went to Frederick Meijer Gardens for the afternoon. They had the Chihuly Exhibit and I must say, it was one of the coolest and most beautiful things I have ever seen! Grand Rapids is the coolest city! I would HIGHLY recommend it. These pictures hardly do the sculptures justice but you can get somewhat of an idea! They are all made of glass and they are breathtaking!This one was called the Rose Crystal Tower- 2006-
I think it looked like rock candy!
Citron Green and Red Tower- 1998
A glass flower in the Greenhouse
Red Reeds- 2010
Blue Moon- 2010 (My favorite one that we saw!)
As you walked up the hill, the sun was shining on all of these glass ornaments and the Blue moon was right there in the same pond. It was beautiful!
Summer Sun- 2010
This one just looked cool!After an afternoon enjoying the beautiful weather and the exhibits we went to Carrabba's for dinner. It is our favorite restaurant and we go every year on our Anniversary! Thanks to some friends who blessed us with a gift certificate(and were a direct answer to prayer), we were able to go this year! Wow....it was definitely good to eat some very flavorful food!
Happy Anniversary Babe! I love you so much and I have loved just celebrating the life God has given us this day!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
The Peaceful, Horribly Wonderful Week!
I finally have a chance to update my blog! I must say, I am very glad to be done with this round of treatment! The week was so good in many ways and not so good in others.
It began on Wednesday, May 26th. I went to St. Mary's at 9 am expecting to be in and out fairly quickly like my doctor said. The first thing they had to do, (which took the longest), was have a pregnancy test. I guess they need to have one within 24 hours of administering the Radioactive Iodine. And NO, WE ARE NOT PREGNANT! At this point in time, I am glad of that! After the results of that, the tech guy came in and gave me a sheet of paper with some guidelines, brought in his little air tight container and gave me a little deadly pill! Very quick and easy, and a little unnerving! As I walked out of the hospital I made sure not to touch anyone I passed by!
I drove to my parents house in Zeeland and was welcomed by some very thoughtful things! They have a bi-level so I was able to stay in their lower level that has a bedroom, bathroom, and walkout sliding doors to the outside. This was a huge highlight for me since I need to have light or it can get depressing. I was very thankful I didn't have to stay in our basement that has very small windows! My mom had set out a table with a fruit bowl, place mat, and cute little flip-flop napkins. In the bedroom was a little shelf complete with a coffee pot, yummy coffee, and some tea. Another table was set up with some other things I needed like a pink barf bucket (compliments of our friend Rose!) and the beautiful roses Shawn gave me for our Anniversary! I had to have my own trash and they also had a table set up at the bottom of the stairs that they could put my food on and not have to come near me! I was SO well taken care of! I truly appreciate their willingness to have me stay at their house and disrupt their routine. They made sure I had healthy food that was on the special diet I was on and anything else I needed. Thank you Mom and Dad for taking care of me! You truly are servants!
One funny thing that happened during the first 48 hours was that my roses started flopping over! These beautiful flowers were all bent over and looked like they were dying! I was told that the 1st 48 hours the radioactivity is the strongest because it hasn't quite absorbed into my body yet. I was so bummed but then on the 3rd and 4th day they perked back up! It was quite funny!
What in the world did I do for a week you might ask?:) I honestly thought I would be able to do more. I have had these horrible migraine type headaches for about 3 weeks leading up to this treatment. Those were a little hard to deal with along with a little nausea and extreme tiredness. They actually prevented me from sleeping very well. I was taking 4 ibuprofen alternating with 3 extra-strength Tylenol and Aleve. Yep...all drugged up and it wasn't helping! I even went to the ER on Memorial Day and they gave me a nice little cocktail of Tordol, Benedryl, some other drug, and Valium! It helped for the evening but the headaches were back the next morning! Grrrr....
The ER doctor thought they might be tension headaches. I told him that I didn't think they were which I'm sure he really appreciated!:) I guess I might be under a LITTLE tension these past few months! I have since been to the chiropractor and they were in fact tension headaches. After a few adjustments, that particular headache is gone!! I told him I was going to give him a million bucks for helping me!
So, I did as much reading as my head could handle, spent a lot of time journaling and reading God's word. He showed me so many things! It was so nice to sit outside and spend time with my Jesus. My parents yard is absolutely beautiful. They have flowers landscaped everywhere and a fountain that is so peaceful. It was also the time of year for the little white cotton puffs to be blowing around and that just added to the peacefulness. Normally those irritate me, but not this year! One of my prayers is that I would continue to make time like that for just spending time with my Saviour. It was such a sweet fellowship. Here are a few verses He showed me.
Exodus 14:13-14
"Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid, Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you TODAY. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."
(An amazing reminder that even when I can't fight for myself, God ALWAYS is.)
Isaiah 41:13
"For I am the Lord your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear, I will help you"
Isaiah 54:10
"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed."
The whole week was filled with God's peace over me. I felt all the prayers being lifted up for me, Shawn, and the kids. It was an absolutely amazing thing to experience. I have never felt that much power before. Never doubt the power of going to the throne room of God and praying for someone!
Thank you to all who did that and continue to do that. Please don't stop!
I was greatly encouraged by all the notes and cards sent to me. It was so nice to receive mail and know in a tangible way that people were thinking about me. Thank you!
Shawn did really great with the kids. You will have to read his blog to get his version of the week! It was hard being away from them, especially thinking that I physically could not be near them or I would hurt them. But it was not as hard as I thought it would be. I did surprise them by coming home on Tuesday night of the following week instead of Wednesday and it was a sweet homecoming. Caleb looked at me and got this look of complete relief on his face that his mama was home and he wouldn't let me put him down! The girls were very excited and ran to me right away.
I am definitely trying to treasure every moment with them! Such sweet darlings!
I did have a full body scan a week after the pill was given and we are still waiting on the results of that. This will show if there is any other cancer and if the treatment worked.
There is still a long road to recovery that is quite frustrating at times. I am trying to get my medication regulated and build up strength in my muscles. Each day sometimes seems like a huge mountain to climb but I have to keep reminding myself that God is my healer, that He is taking care of me, and that He has been with me each step of this journey.
Please continue to pray for us and I will continue to keep you updated!
It began on Wednesday, May 26th. I went to St. Mary's at 9 am expecting to be in and out fairly quickly like my doctor said. The first thing they had to do, (which took the longest), was have a pregnancy test. I guess they need to have one within 24 hours of administering the Radioactive Iodine. And NO, WE ARE NOT PREGNANT! At this point in time, I am glad of that! After the results of that, the tech guy came in and gave me a sheet of paper with some guidelines, brought in his little air tight container and gave me a little deadly pill! Very quick and easy, and a little unnerving! As I walked out of the hospital I made sure not to touch anyone I passed by!
I drove to my parents house in Zeeland and was welcomed by some very thoughtful things! They have a bi-level so I was able to stay in their lower level that has a bedroom, bathroom, and walkout sliding doors to the outside. This was a huge highlight for me since I need to have light or it can get depressing. I was very thankful I didn't have to stay in our basement that has very small windows! My mom had set out a table with a fruit bowl, place mat, and cute little flip-flop napkins. In the bedroom was a little shelf complete with a coffee pot, yummy coffee, and some tea. Another table was set up with some other things I needed like a pink barf bucket (compliments of our friend Rose!) and the beautiful roses Shawn gave me for our Anniversary! I had to have my own trash and they also had a table set up at the bottom of the stairs that they could put my food on and not have to come near me! I was SO well taken care of! I truly appreciate their willingness to have me stay at their house and disrupt their routine. They made sure I had healthy food that was on the special diet I was on and anything else I needed. Thank you Mom and Dad for taking care of me! You truly are servants!
One funny thing that happened during the first 48 hours was that my roses started flopping over! These beautiful flowers were all bent over and looked like they were dying! I was told that the 1st 48 hours the radioactivity is the strongest because it hasn't quite absorbed into my body yet. I was so bummed but then on the 3rd and 4th day they perked back up! It was quite funny!
What in the world did I do for a week you might ask?:) I honestly thought I would be able to do more. I have had these horrible migraine type headaches for about 3 weeks leading up to this treatment. Those were a little hard to deal with along with a little nausea and extreme tiredness. They actually prevented me from sleeping very well. I was taking 4 ibuprofen alternating with 3 extra-strength Tylenol and Aleve. Yep...all drugged up and it wasn't helping! I even went to the ER on Memorial Day and they gave me a nice little cocktail of Tordol, Benedryl, some other drug, and Valium! It helped for the evening but the headaches were back the next morning! Grrrr....
The ER doctor thought they might be tension headaches. I told him that I didn't think they were which I'm sure he really appreciated!:) I guess I might be under a LITTLE tension these past few months! I have since been to the chiropractor and they were in fact tension headaches. After a few adjustments, that particular headache is gone!! I told him I was going to give him a million bucks for helping me!
So, I did as much reading as my head could handle, spent a lot of time journaling and reading God's word. He showed me so many things! It was so nice to sit outside and spend time with my Jesus. My parents yard is absolutely beautiful. They have flowers landscaped everywhere and a fountain that is so peaceful. It was also the time of year for the little white cotton puffs to be blowing around and that just added to the peacefulness. Normally those irritate me, but not this year! One of my prayers is that I would continue to make time like that for just spending time with my Saviour. It was such a sweet fellowship. Here are a few verses He showed me.
Exodus 14:13-14
"Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid, Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you TODAY. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."
(An amazing reminder that even when I can't fight for myself, God ALWAYS is.)
Isaiah 41:13
"For I am the Lord your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear, I will help you"
Isaiah 54:10
"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed."
The whole week was filled with God's peace over me. I felt all the prayers being lifted up for me, Shawn, and the kids. It was an absolutely amazing thing to experience. I have never felt that much power before. Never doubt the power of going to the throne room of God and praying for someone!
Thank you to all who did that and continue to do that. Please don't stop!
I was greatly encouraged by all the notes and cards sent to me. It was so nice to receive mail and know in a tangible way that people were thinking about me. Thank you!
Shawn did really great with the kids. You will have to read his blog to get his version of the week! It was hard being away from them, especially thinking that I physically could not be near them or I would hurt them. But it was not as hard as I thought it would be. I did surprise them by coming home on Tuesday night of the following week instead of Wednesday and it was a sweet homecoming. Caleb looked at me and got this look of complete relief on his face that his mama was home and he wouldn't let me put him down! The girls were very excited and ran to me right away.
I am definitely trying to treasure every moment with them! Such sweet darlings!
I did have a full body scan a week after the pill was given and we are still waiting on the results of that. This will show if there is any other cancer and if the treatment worked.
There is still a long road to recovery that is quite frustrating at times. I am trying to get my medication regulated and build up strength in my muscles. Each day sometimes seems like a huge mountain to climb but I have to keep reminding myself that God is my healer, that He is taking care of me, and that He has been with me each step of this journey.
Please continue to pray for us and I will continue to keep you updated!
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