For some time now, I have felt like I am just getting by.  I’ve been very busy and have had a hard time getting things done.  I have piles of papers to go through and organize.  I even managed to forget to pay the electric bill at our other house.  Oops!  I need to get life in order.  I am really looking forward to Lent this year.  It should be a good time to slow down and focus on the things that are important.

I have to say that many of my distractions have been good.  I’ve been spending a lot of time with my children, doing crafts, baking, reading books and just hanging out with them.  I’ve also been traveling: visiting family for Thanksgiving, Gatlinburg for the New Years and then New Orleans.  I’ve had both good and bad days, and I pray that the coming months are peaceful ones for us all.

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This little girl is a teenager in a two and a half year old’s body.  She says things like, “Well, that’s just too bad” and “That’s wonderful” or “I just can’t believe that!”  After their stay with Grandma and Grandpa, Spunky went through a terrible phase of separation anxiety, where she wouldn’t let me out of her sight.  But that has passed, and she is back to her normal, energetic, stubborn self.  She still wants me to “cuddle her” at night and naptime, but she is doing better. She also knows how to use her cuteness to manipulate us.  But, man, is she adorable!  She loves reading and has reached a new stage where she is pretending all the time.  She loves playing with her kitchen and taking care of her babies.

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Bunky is also becoming more independent.  Thankfully, he is FINALLY sleeping at night!  He doesn’t sleep much at all during the day, though.  He maybe sleeps for a total of 1 1/2 hours during the day, but that doesn’t seem to bother him too much.  He has started talking.  He can say things like “dadadada” “boo” “maaama” and today we think he said his brother’s name.  He still adores his siblings and has a lot more fun interacting with them now.  He hasn’t started eating any solid food yet, mainly because I want to talk with his pediatrician first.  He has terrible eczema, and I want to get that checked out again before I feed him anything.  He is a sweetheart!

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Punky is growing up right before our eyes.  He is currently in the middle of a growth spurt and is eating us out of house and home!  He had FIVE bowls of cereal for breakfast the other day and continued to eat just as voraciously all day long.  He has been complaining of his legs/knees hurting; so I think he is having growing pains.  He has been in Speech Therapy for two months now, and his speech is steadily improving.  He is starting to get very excited about going to school (more on that in a later post).  Check out what he did the other day:

He loves practicing his letters, whether that be writing them down or learning how to say them correctly.  He always tells me that when he “grows big” he is going to teach his sister and brother how to speak correctly and write letters.  He loves being a big brother.

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My beautiful mother has some tests done recently, and they revealed something on her sternum.  Tomorrow afternoon, she is has a CT-guided biopsy of her sternum.  She also had a bone marrow biopsy of her hip done two weeks ago, and everything came back normal with that.  She feels healthy.  She has been back to her normal self, working hard and enjoying time with her friends and family.  Please say a prayer that the biopsy will come back negative for cancer and that the doctors will be able to determine what is going on.  Thanks!

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In January, we found out that my husband’s aunt has a malignant and rapidly growing tumor that is taking over the speech area her brain. Surgery would only remove a portion of the tumor, thus leaving cancer in the brain. Radiation and chemotherapy would of necessity follow that kind of surgery. The risks of surgery would entail the high probability of further deterioration of speech, as well as the side effects of radiation and chemotherapy, in addition to a significantly diminished quality of life.  To do nothing, allowing the malignancy to run its course, would mean a life expectancy of less than a year.  Even with surgery, radiation, and chemo or without it, there is no cure.  Her condition is terminal. Taking the approach to “do everything possible,” would only promise minimal additional time.

After prayerful reflection and medical advice, in addition to prior personal consideration of these kinds of circumstances over the years, his aunt has made the decision to allow the cancer to run its course.  While choosing this course will mean a slightly less life expectancy, it will mean an increased quality of life while she is with us and result in a peaceful home going.

From their online journal: “Recently, Joy has made her intentions clear.  “I’m so tired. It would be fine with me just to fall asleep and go to Heaven.  All I can think about is the joy of Heaven. I don’t want to fight this.”  It is with our deep faith in God that we believe He is the Great Physician and is our Healer.  We do believe God could choose to heal her while on this earth, but we also know the ultimate healing will be in Heaven.  It is with the assurance and promises of a gracious God that as a family we face the future.  We rest in the confidence that, “For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.” (Rom 14:8)  Finally, “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Cor 4:18)  Our faith still holds to an unfailing God.”

Please keep her and the family in your prayers.