Dear Praying Friends,

 I appreciate all of you that have been praying for my mother and our family.  It is wonderful to know that our Christian brothers and sisters are concerned about how we are doing during this hard time.  The unsaved world is truly missing out on such wonderful blessings. When they go through trials like we are they do not have so many hundreds of prayers giving them strength to move forward. Our family is at one of the most difficult times we have ever faced and your prayers mean more to us than ever.

 My mother, Carol, has been told by her doctors to go home and do what makes her happy. The cancer has not been slowed much by the intense chemo treatments and is aggressively attacking.  She will be starting hospice care in just a few weeks. As we go through this time with her we know that God’s timing is perfect, but there are times that knowing this will not make losing our mother any easier. My brothers and I are heartbroken, and only those that have lost a spouse know what our father is going through.  I beg you all to pray more for us than you ever have before. 

 My father’s name is Joe. My brothers are Dan, Don, and Bob. If you would lift up all our names individually it would comfort us very much. My oldest brother has five children who love their grandma very much. Their names are Andrew, Russell, Joseph, Madison and Whitney. This will be very hard on them.  My oldest son, David, will be very confused why his grandma is not around to give him wagon rides and such anymore. Please pray for my mother’s grandchildren, for they will miss her tremendously.

 I thank you all again for your prayers and love for my family. Our own church family is doing a wonderful job at making us feel loved. There will be many people close by for us to turn to when we need them.

 I am so glad that saying goodbye on this earth is not permanent with those that know the Lord. We will see her again, and to her it will be like she just left us.

 In Christ’s Love,

 Holly & Justin

Okay, I think I have been told all the stories possible about their trip.  They’re still getting over jetlag, still trying to catch up to “feeling like home” again.  They’ve called all their friends, arranged all their get-togethers for the next couple of weeks until school starts again, have destroyed their previously Mom Busted Her Arse To Get Clean rooms.  Ah, life is back to normal!

Brett showed me the Google Earth images of where his dad and new (yup, #4) stepmom live – really quaint, really beautiful.  She’s an officer, I guess, so she has some good bucks to live off post, and it’s a gorgeous part of Germany they live in.  I really like Liz, I’m glad he found her – I think she’ll “young him up”… LOL!  Their Dad never wants to move back to the US, I guess…  After seeing the shops and castles and countryside on GE, I can understand why.  Incredible.  Like right out of a Cary Grant movie.  Yup, I wanna live in Europe somewhere beautiful like that.  London.  Venice.  Somewhere where the life is slower, the grass is greener, the people are nicer, on and on and on… I know it exists – I know people from lots of different countries, and they say it’s just so different there – PLEASANTLY different, I should add.  Oh well.  Maybe if we hit the lottery.  Or if Obama gets elected.  Whoops – did I say that out loud?

 Tonite is the test of Will the Boys Find Hidden Vegetables.  I’ve prepared my meatloaf (it’s yummy!) but have added a pureed mixture of green peppers, onions, carrots, and garlic.  I made it this morning so that they didn’t see me… Covert Cooking at it’s finest.

 

My SIL with cancer is staying at my mom’s house for the three weeks that she’s going to be receiving the radiation to reduce the tumor.  My other brother is driving in from Indianapolis tomorrow and we’re all heading over for pizza night.  I’m nervous, I just don’t know what to say to her.  I know if it were me, I’d just want everyone to get over it, laugh and love, have a good time, it is what it is.  But it doesn’t change my awkwardness or sadness at her illness, my brother’s loss of a wife of 28 years, her children’s loss of their mother, her grandchildren’s loss of a grandma that would read them stories and take them to the park.  It’s not fair.

That being said, I watched Dateline the other night about Randy Pausch, the famous professor who died of pancreatic cancer just a few days ago.  I cried for a man I don’t even know.  If you haven’t seen his lecture or read his story, please do (I’ve added it at the end of this post) – it will open your eyes to what is truly important in your world.  The man is incredible.  I need to remember his words when I hug my SIL tomorrow night.

And I also want to send prayers to all that are suffering an affliction, be it cancer, a simple cold, or a black heart.  TIme here is so short.  Live, love, and laugh – that is what is truly important.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo]

Well, my sister in law was taken to the hospital last night.  My brother is not doing well.  Carol’s cancer is in her brain and is causing swelling.  It’s very possible she’ll never go home again.  All they can do is make her comfortable.  I cringe every time the phone rings today. 

Sigh.  Okay, on to cheerier things.  Ayla thoroughly enjoyed my bean soup yesterday.  I’m glad there’s at least one other person here that will eat it, no one else does!  Daddy also made some great steaks over the weekend, and Ayla mastered those now too.  I think now there’s nothing that she hasn’t enjoyed.  This is wonderful!  I wonder why some people go through so much trouble and thought to feed their baby – it’s frankly one of the easiest things in parenting.  Make dinner, feed them.  No steaming/baking/ pureeing/freezing/thawing/feeding.  Eh, whatever.  Right now there’s so many more important things in life to debate, more power to those that have the time to do all those steps.  I like my two-steps!

Autumn is having a blast with Justus’ old LeapPad.  I didn’t even know this thing still worked!  It has reading, math, songs, and more, and she’s really quite adept at using it.  She especially enjoys singing along with Mother Goose’s nursery rhymes.

Two more “sleeps” (as we explain to Autumn) until my boys come home.  I’m so anxious I can’t stand it.  I hope they call today to solidify the plans.  I guess Jim’s wife is flying them into Boston, and she’s going on to Arizona from there, leaving the boys to fly on their own to Columbus.  How exciting for them!  They’ll have the flight attendants wrapped around their fingers, I’m sure.  We haven’t thought much about what special “welcome home” thing we’re going to do – Carol’s situation throws a bit of a shadow over the celebration, we just can’t make solid plans until closer to the time they get here.

Hmm… I found a fun fun site yesterday while playing around – worth1000.com – it’s amateur and professional artists manipulating photographs – sooo much fun to browse – take a look!

Okay, I think that’s my rants for today.  Not too ranting, I know.

My beautiful sister-in-law Carol has cancer.  It’s rampant, and the docs have done all they can do.  She can only be made more comfortable now, with pain medications and the love and care of her family.

My brother is so amazing.  I hurt so badly for him.  Physically, really, my heart hurts.  I cringe every time the phone rings, for fear it’s the “call”.  He’s such a good man, she’s such a good woman.  Four children, grandchildren, very active members of the church, very loving people.

Why does this happen to the nicest people?  I think Tony Snow said it well, in his testimony.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/july/25.30.html

Please take a moment to read his beautiful words. 

When you sit with your family tonight and groan about, well, anything… think about those that sit with their family and wonder when God will take them.  Will it be today?  Tomorrow?  Next week?

Sort of makes your “I gotta get the lawn mowed” a little insignificant, doesn’t it?