We are enjoying the holidays. We have been able to spend time with lots of family and friends; we had our first try at Rock Band, watched Humphry Bogart movies, ate lots of Blue Bell, and just enjoyed hangng out with family.
At the same time, our loved ones who are going through trials are ever on our minds. I lay awake today, thinking of and praying for those I love, whose hearts are hurting.
Matt. 5:4 blessed are those who mourn; for they shall be comforted
Eccl. 7:1-15 wisdom and mourning
Let's end this year and start the new year, looking to God more diligently.
Sounds like you're having a good time! I'm ready for 2009 and hoping it's a better year than this one was. Let me know the next time you're in Baytown. I have something for you.
That sounds a lot like our Chirstmas at the Adams house! Except we did Guitar Hero!! It was awesome. Whiel we were there we watched the Egypt and Israel videos. I saw you and Jamie!!! It looked like an amazing trip.
They just jumped off the rock and we took the pictures....I guess it is a little deceiving:) Hey will you be in town the 24th? I forgot when you were coming in Jan.
I ham having my first party at the new house if you want to come. Not sure if we will be moved it but we are going to have it anyway cause i know we will be close. It will be a southern living party. I am going to invite Jamie's mom and Tami and of course all the Bell ladies. I'll talk to Brad about the study....it is Friday night only?
Is is the 24th in the morning, I think I am going to do it at 10:30 am! Is the motocross at night? That does stink....oh well, maybe next time. I want to see you anyway when you come:)
Thanks for your prayers for my friend. She says she had a 'plan' (for suicide) but she seems to be doing better. I try to contact her at least once a day. She did send me an encouraging note telling me she realized she has been allowing too many things to stress her out and some things just aren't worth the worry. So, things seem to be looking up. Please continue to pray for her, as well as for those who have been affected by cancer, including 7 year old Nathan, Kim, Brice, my Great Aunt Joyce, 3 year old James, and my sis-in-law's mother.
I had a good time with my niece and Mom here last week. We went to see the sea lions in SF, Rainforest Cafe, the beach, and she had her first try at ice skating at an outside rink in SF! She did good skating with me. Mom had a great time watching us go around the rink, P, J, and I all trying to avoid falling. :) We also went to see Bolt in 3-D. It was cute watching her crack up at parts, her whole body shaking and reaching out to try to grab things that jumped out at us.
I was asked more questions in those few days than I have been asked this whole year, most of them including the word, “Why…?” Her questions about ‘Bolt’ continued for about 15 minutes after the movie, till my mom changed the subject. Poor thing thought one of the dogs was alone at the end of the movie with no one to play with, so she was crying when the movie was over. It took a few minutes, but I finally convinced her otherwise. Here are the pics:
Soon, we are headed to TX for the Williams family Christmas, then to KY for the Halbrook family Christmas (and hopefully meet up with some friends-that's you Sharon, Meagan, Dar, Ang, and Mel), back to TX for the Mims New Year Gathering, then to Orange County for Jamie to work and me to play. :) We appreciate your prayers for our safe travels.
Finally, I just thought this was cute. On Christmas Eve, you can Track Santa. There is also a "kid's countdown" on the page with daily Updates from the North Pole.
I hope everyone has a wonderful last 2 weeks of 2008!
I love the pictures. My favorite is Payton sitting on the stairs talking on the phone. Is Aunt Virgie's appointment today? Is there anything she needs?
very cute pictures! Payton looks like she's probably lots of fun. how old are the twins now? Be safe with all of your travels and have a wonderful time seeing all of your family!
that's funny about the chicken, my sister-in-law, jenny doesn't eat chicken on the bone either...another thing steve made him do was write a one page "report" from the Bible on respect, but i don't want to call that punishment! :)
i guess i didn't realize you still live in CA - but we will probably take you up on your offer, at least for a couple of nights! :-) i'll probably be emailing you soon...
DECEMBER 13, 2006 BEGAN AS AN ORDINARY DAY. PAUL WENT TO WORK, ME AND NATHAN TOOK MARISSA TO SCHOOL AND DID SOME CHRISTMAS SHOPPING. IT WAS A WEDNESDAY, SO WE ALL WENT TO WORSHIP SERVICES THAT EVENING. WE CAME HOME AND GOT THE KIDS READY FOR BED. WE WERE LIVING THE 'NORMAL' LIFE THAT IS SO EASILY TAKEN FOR GRANTED. AROUND 9:30 pm, OUR LIVES WERE DRASTICALLY CHANGED. NATHAN WAS PLAYING IN THE LIVING ROOM FLOOR, AND SUDDENLY FELL. WE THOUGHT HE HAD SLIPPED, AND PAUL SAW HIM LAND ON THE LEFT SIDE OF HIS FACE. HE CRIED OF COURSE, AND WE LOVED ON HIM (WHICH USUALLY MAKES IT ALL BETTER). HE BEGAN HOLDING HIS HEAD AND SAID IT HURT ON THE RIGHT SIDE. (LOOKING BACK NOW, I CAN'T IMAGINE THE AMOUNT OF PAIN & PRESSURE HE WAS EXPERIENCING). WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, HE VOMITED, SO PAUL AND I DECIDED TO TAKE HIM TO OUR LOCAL EMERGENCY CENTER (STILL HAVING NO CLUE AS TO WHAT WE WERE ABOUT TO FACE). AT THE ER, NATHAN WAS HARD TO KEEP AWAKE, AND WHEN THE DR. HAD HIM WALK, HE WAS 'DRAGGING' HIS LEFT LEG. HE WAS IMMEDIATELY TAKEN FOR A CT SCAN. PAUL WAS IN THE ROOM WITH THE TECHNICIAN, AND SAW THE LARGE MASS APPEAR ON THE SCREEN. THINGS STARTED MOVING VERY QUICKLY THEN...NATHAN WAS MOVED TO ANOTHER EXAM ROOM AND WAS PREPPED TO BE TAKEN TO KOSAIR CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL BY STAT FLIGHT HELICOPTER. I STILL DID NOT REALIZE WHAT WAS GOING ON. THEN A DR. TAPPED ME ON THE SHOULDER AND ASKED ME TO COME AND LOOK AT NATHAN'S SCAN. IT SEEMED SO UNREAL TO SEE THIS LARGE MASS ON THE SCREEN, AND TO MAKE THE CONNECTION THAT THIS MASS WAS IN MY BABY'S HEAD! THE DR SAID IT MIGHT BE BLEEDING ON THE BRAIN, BUT HE WANTED TO PREPARE US BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE A TUMOR. WE WERE NOT ALLOWED TO GO ON THE HELICOPTER WITH NATHAN (ONLY 2 PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED, BESIDES THE PATIENT, AND THEY MUST BE MEDICAL PERSONNEL). SO WE WERE GIVEN THIS UNBELIEVABLE NEWS AND THEN HAD TO LEAVE HIM!
PAUL'S PARENTS DROVE US TO KOSAIR, AND PAUL AND I WERE IN ABSOLUTE SHOCK. THE WORDS 'BRAIN TUMOR' HIT ME HARD, BECAUSE I LOST A FRIEND TO ASTROCYTOMA WHEN I WAS 18.
ONCE AT KOSAIR'S, NATHAN UNDERWENT ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF OF MRI SCANS (THANKFULLY HE WAS SEDATED AND HAD NO IDEA OF WHAT WAS GOING ON). DURING THIS TIME, WE WAITED AND CRIED AND PRAYED. BUT WE WERE NOT ALONE! FIRST AND FOREMOST, GOD WAS RIGHT THERE WITH US! WE WERE ALSO SURROUNDED BY SO MANY LOVING FAMILY AND FRIENDS. IT WAS THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, AND SUPPORTERS JUST KEPT COMING IN TO THE WAITING ROOM! NO ONE NEEDED TO SAY A THING, JUST BEING THERE LET US KNOW HOW MUCH WE WERE LOVED. I'M THANKFUL FOR EACH AND EVERY PERSON THAT CAME TO US THAT NIGHT! I HATE TO SINGLE ANYONE OUT, BUT IT WAS ESPECIALLY TOUCHING TO ME THAT OUR FRIENDS, JON & TANYA HALBROOK WERE THERE. THEY CAME OUT LATE AT NIGHT, IN THE COLD WITH THEIR SWEET 3 YEAR OLD (PAYTON), AND TANYA WAS PREGNANT WITH TWINS! OUR LOVED ONES REALLY KNOW HOW TO FULFILL ROMANS 12:15 'REJOICE WITH THOSE THAT REJOICE, AND WEEP WITH THOSE WHO WEEP.'
AFTER VIEWING THE SCANS, DR. SHANKS INFORMED US THAT THE 'MASS' WAS INDEED A TUMOR...A TUMOR THAT WAS 7 CM. AND VERY VASCULAR (HAD LOTS OF BLOOD VESSELS FEEDING IT). NEEDLESS TO SAY, PAUL AND I WERE CRUSHED, BUT WE DID NOT FALL APART. I KNOW THE ONLY REASON WE DIDN'T WAS BECAUSE OUR HEAVENLY FATHER WAS HOLDING US AND GIVING US HIS STRENGTH (I KNOW MY STRENGTH WAS COMPLETELY GONE).
I KNOW THIS STORY IS ALL TOO FAMILIAR TO OUR FRIENDS WHO ALSO HAVE A CHILD WITH CANCER. THE DETAILS ARE DIFFERENT, BUT THE EMOTIONS ARE THE SAME.
IT MAY SOUND CRAZY TO SOME, BUT I THANK GOD THAT NATHAN FELL THAT NIGHT. I BELIEVE IT WAS HIS WAY OF LETTING US KNOW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. IF WE HAD PUT NATHAN TO BED, WITHOUT KNOWING, WE MAY HAVE LOST HIM THAT NIGHT. ALTHOUGH IT'S BEEN VERY DIFFICULT AT TIMES, GOD HAS BLESSED US WITH TWO YEARS OF SMILES, LAUGHTER, HUGS, AND WONDERFUL MEMORIES THAT WE MIGHT HAVE MISSED.
SO WE CONTINUE ON THIS JOURNEY, NOT KNOWING HOW OR WHEN IT WILL END, BUT HAVING FULL ASSURANCE THAT GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF NATHAN AND HOLD OUR HANDS EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERY PERSON WHO HAS SHOWN YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, AND I KNOW YOU WILL CONTINUE TO PRAY AND BE THERE FOR US.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL,
MISSY, PAUL, MARISSA AND NATHAN
P.S. RADIATION WENT WELL THIS WEEK. NATHAN HAD A HEADACHE AFTER THE 1ST TREATMENT ON TUESDAY (WHICH WAS QUICKLY RELIEVED WITH A STEROID). WED. - FRI. HE FELT JUST FINE. PLEASE PRAY THAT THE RADIATION DOES SOME SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THAT TUMOR, AND AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE TO OUR LITTLE MAN! WE HAVE AN APPT. WITH DR. AAYANAR ON TUESDAY FOR A CHECKUP, COUNTS, AND TO BEGIN THE NEXT CYCLE OF ORAL CHEMO.
NATHAN'S TESTS WENT SMOOTHLY TODAY - WE ARE SO PROUD OF HOW HE HANDLES THESE THINGS SO WELL!
WE WENT TO DR. SILVERMAN'S (SILLYMAN'S) OFFICE AFTER THE MRI. HE GOT THE MRI RESULTS FROM KOSAIR - THE 5 SMALLER TUMORS ARE STILL SMALL, BUT THE BIGGER ONE APPEARS TO BE A LITTLE BIGGER AND HAS SOME SWELLING AROUND IT. SO, NATHAN HAD ANOTHER 'FACE MASK' MADE AND A CT SCAN TO PREPARE FOR RADIATION TREATMENTS THAT WILL BE DIRECTED TO THAT ONE TUMOR. HE WILL HAVE FOUR TREATMENTS, STARTING TOMORROW THROUGH FRIDAY. PLEASE PRAY THAT THESE TREATMENTS HELP TO SLOW THIS TUMOR DOWN, BECAUSE IT IS PRESSING ON A MAIN ARTERY IN HIS BRAIN. IF IT CONTINUES TO GROW, IT WILL RESTRICT BLOOD FLOW TO THE LEFT SIDE OF HIS BODY AND DEFINITELY CAUSE SOME PROBLEMS.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR LOVE AND PRAYERS. IT TRULY MEANS A LOT TO US, KNOWING THAT SO MANY PEOPLE CARE ABOUT US AND ARE FERVENTLY PRAYING.
LOVE,
MISSY
Kim has had 2 chemo treatments. Please continue to pray for them.
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a 21st century 4-year old, telling a make believe story
".....................................................................I downloaded something on my phone today and texted it to my friend, and she texted back and was like, 'for real??' and she told me she was havin a rootin tootin bootin Santa Clause party and that was pretty fun and then she texted me a word she made up and I can't even say it; it's such a silly word that she just made up. How funny is THAT?!?"
-quote from my niece Payton
-if you have ever met her and she got over her shyness around you, you understand why there are so many ...... before the story starts.
one more...
Looking out the window at the airport...
Payton: What's that?
My mom: It's a truck that fills the airplane up with gas.
Payton: EWWWW!! Airplanes toot???
mary will be graduating next wed! Then she will take her test to get her license in Austin. We are so happy for her. The show last Saturday went well. I wish I could have gone,but my parents went and afterward went out to eat with Connie and Danielle. Hope to see you guys when you come down. Right now I have a stomach bug virus, but Hopefully I will have it out of my system soon! I hate staying in bed all day. I cannot complain though i have much to be thankful for, and I definately keep praying for Kim and her family.
