Grass Angels

Funny story.....

Today JD and Caleb had gone outside. They had been out there for awhile, they both came in sweaty and smiling. JD's hair was matted and had grass in it.... When I asked him what they had been doing... he smiled and said... " We were making grass angels ...." What a kid!

Lifehouse's Everything Skit

Life is harsh sometimes. I've seen that through the eyes of my friend who has cancer, friends who are out of work, friends who are hurting, marriages of those I care about falling apart...I've seen it in my own life....
But I was reminded in a powerful way that GOD HAS ALREADY WON the battle for us. Dance with HIM today....

And then be reminded of this:And how can I stand here with you, and not be moved by YOU? But you tell me, "How could it be, any better than this?"



"...'Cause YOU're all I want, YOU're all I need, YOU're EVERYTHING!"

Robyn Update

Hello All,
I thought I would share the email with you this morning. It's from Robyns husband David. Please keep them in your prayers.

Dear friends and family,
Robyn's surgery was this afternoon and lasted for three hours. Her recovery was another two hours on top of that, so it was a long day for us. The surgery went well and she responded favorably to the anaesthesia and the procedures that were done. Unfortunately, not all turned out as we had hoped. Cancer was found to be present in her lymph nodes on one side. About 20 of the nodes were removed and we will not know the extent of their nature for a few days. Her oncologist listed the cancer cells as stage 2, and she will require chemotherapy and possibly radiation treatment once she recovers from this surgery (estimated at 4-6 weeks total). Needless to say, we are quite devastated by the news as it continues to sink in. She is pretty well sedated at the moment while the anaesthesia continues to wear off. She was informed of all of this by her oncologist who performed the surgery and we will know more about types of treatment as well as a more defined prognosis in the days ahead. He remains hopeful that this treatment will prove effective, as do we, but we are obviously deflated by the news, as this will surely complicate life for us. We don't know yet when Robyn will be released from the hospital, but we anticipate leaving either Thursday or early Friday. We have been so overwhelmed by your thoughts, prayers, and words of support, and we ask that you continue to keep us in your prayers. We continue to trust the sovereign hand of God, and know that He is good and works things according to His good purpose and plan. While we don't understand it, we are going to move forward in faith. Please pray for our girls, Anna and Audrey, that their lives would not be disrupted in the midst of this. Thank you all for being a part of our lives, and we will continue to keep you aware of Robyn's health in the weeks and months ahead.

peace and love,

David



These pictures were taken in January 2006 at our home. Robyn and I were both pregnant. Her Daughter Anna is pictured below, and Audrey came about 9 weeks later. This was the last time we got to see each other. I'd love to get up to Chicago to see them!

Caleb got stitches today

Well...Caleb got stitches today. He had an argument with the solid brick fireplace hearth. The hearth won. I have no pictures as of yet. But, he's fine. Just the first of many to come I'm sure....

Nathan and Caleb

Just thought I'd give an update on Nathan and Caleb. We found out today that Nathan is allergic to eggs. Bye Bye baked goods...cookies...cake...ice cream...meatloaf....etc etc etc.

Caleb is getting tubes put in his ears on September 7. He has a ton of fluid in his ears. We are hoping that this surgery will help him verbally. He is still not talking very much. We would love to hear what is going on in that little head of his....

That's all folks....

Pray for Robyn

I'm writing tonight on behalf of my dear friend Robyn. A few short weeks ago, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Robyn's Mom died of breast cancer when Robyn was a young child. So, you can imagine that this is a very frightening time for her and her family. Tomorrow morning, she is having surgery. They are going to do a bi-lateral mastectomy. Which means, they are removing both her breasts. She'll have reconstructive surgery, but as you can well imagine, this is going to be a difficult surgery physically, psychologically and emotionally.

I've known Robyn since our freshman year at Moody. (way back in 1989). We were in each others weddings and have remained in contact for years. (The picture to the above is from my wedding...)She and her husband Dave and their two young daughters live in Chicago. David and Robyn are doing OK, but it's been quite a shock and a lot to deal with in a short amount of time.

Please keep them in your prayers. They are clinging to the Lord and trusting Him, which has already been a witness to many. I'll keep you updated as I know how things are going, I just thought I would send this out to my fellow prayer warriors. Thank you so much.

7 Years

Monty and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary yesterday. Actually, we went out on a real date on Friday night! We had a new babysitter come over, and she did a stellar job! Monty and I went to a local restaurant called "Red Rock Canyon Grill". It sits right on the Arkansas river. Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE to sit outside...if its not to hot. It was just right that night. The river is still full from the weeks of rain we received this spring/summer. They had live music played at just the right decibel...it was really nice.

Monty and I have had an exciting 7 years.

We've lived in 5 states, gone through 13 combined job changes, one church split, we've had one miscarriage, one natural birth, two emergency c-sections. We've had 6 different individuals live with us at different times for up to 6 months at a time. We've gone on a cruise. We've gone scuba diving in Cozumel. We've gone camping in the Rocky Mountains. We've been swimming in the Atlantic. We have added two cats. We housed a dog for a month. One child has broken an arm. The same child has had his tonsils out. We've worked with amazing students. We've partnered in ministry. We've supported each other in separate ministries. We've eaten pizza in a field. We've hiked 15 miles on the spur of the moment. We've been on a missions trip to Mexico. We've cut down a tree for Christmas every year, except of first year. Monty has learned how to clean. I have learned how to "not clean" (well, sort of). I've learned Monty is good at charging cell phones, I am not. He is good at blowing out candles...I'm good at lighting them. We've prayed together almost every night. We are constantly learning how to communicate. We have learned that true love is worth fighting for. We have laughed, cried, gotten angry and had moments that are to special to describe.

It's been a great 7 years....

Poem I found today....

I Took His Hand and Followed

Author Unknown

My dishes went unwashed today,
I didn't make the bed,
I took his hand and followed
Where his eager footsteps led.

Oh yes, we went adventuring,
My little son and I...
Exploring all the great outdoors
Beneath the summer sky

We waded in a crystal stream,
We wandered through a wood...
My kitchen wasn't swept today
But life was full and good.

We found a cool, sun-dappled glade
And now my small son knows
How Mother Bunny hides her nest,
Where jack-in-pulpit grows.

We watched a robin feed her young,
We climbed a sunlit hill...
Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,
We plucked a daffodil.

That my house was neglected,
That I didn't brush the stairs,
In twenty years, no one on earth
Will know, or even care.

But that I've helped my little boy
To noble manhood grow,
In twenty years, the whole wide world
May look and see and know.