Joel's Journey: pancakes and passports!!!

Monday, September 19, 2011

pancakes and passports!!!

Sunday nights after church, our norm is to go to Pizza Hut with our good friends Natatli, Paul and their children! Many times others join us too! On rare occasions when we dont have everyone with us we go to ihop but its pretty expensive!! Last night we didnt go to ihop or Pizza hut, and we only had the younger ones with us sooooooo we went to ihome and made the best Buttermilk pancakes, bacon and eggs and coffee!!! The children went on and on of how it was sooooo good, even better than ihop!!! I doubt we will get out of going to ihop for the future but this was a lot of fun and it was very tasty!!! Something about breakfast for dinner just makes it taste better!! What do you do on Sunday nights, any traditions??

Well this week is going to be a whirlwind for sure. Gettting school work in, the OKC State Fair is underway and that means for Bethany super busy with the Dairy Goat shows there. Its a fun time for our whole family going, wandering around, eating fair food, watching Bethany show her goats, We have been going for many years and its just something we do! Its also grocery week, so I have to get a menu ready. We have another bd coming up.....Anna!!! The last "teen" year for her! Oh and remember for anyone over 16 just gets a meal and dessert of their choosing, so that will be easy.

I am thankful that God never changes. I dont think I have ever experienced more "changes" in our life than this past year, from last Sept to this Sept. Having older children has brought us to meet many people, and has carried us to many places. New friendships have been made, relationships have begun, some were begun and ended with much prayer and direction of the Lord, some are seeking direction as to "what and where" the Lord would have them go and do. Its so easy to have "younger" children, they stay contained....haha! But I know its what we have been doing these almost 25 years. Preparing them, admonishing them, seeking to equip them to go out into the world and "live for Jesus!!!" I dont know what the Lord will do in the near future but some could be around the other side of the world by the end of the year or first of the year. I am thankful that I can, no matter where they are, what they are doing, bow before the Lord in my room, way out here in the country of Coyle USA and the never changing God hears a mothers prayer! He loves them more than I ever could......so GO in Jesus name and love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, your strength, your might for His kingdom and His glory!!!

Hope you all have a wonderful week!!!! Hey, we are getting some 80's, real Fall now!!!

1 comment:

Teena said...: I understand the changes... I have really felt them... the changes this past year. Mike/Amber moved to Orlando.. Mandi spent 6 wks in Kenya, Dakota graduated this spring and just started college. My little boys miss their older brothers! I have realized that I have to make memories with the younger ones... even though it is so different with out the older ones!

It is hard.

breakfast for supper that sounds great.

We go out on Sunday nights after church to the local pizza place. We go with a few other families.

We do not have an IHOP around but I would LOVE it!

much love,
Teena; September 19, 2011 at 4:31 PM

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Joel's Story

Joel, our 11th of 13 and a twin of Josiah, at age 3 was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer, on December 6th, 2006. Joel had three perfect years of health and he and Josiah celebrated their 3rd birthday Sept. 13th, 2006. The first of Oct. Joel started having unexplained fevers for a few days and would return to active play. After the fourth round of fevers we took him to our family Dr. which they said his iron was low, so we treated that for a few weeks and took him back only to have his hemo. showing lower than before. We were referred to a hematologists and saw him a few weeks with blood checks twice a week. At a visit on Dec. 4th we showed the Dr. the bumps, (which were tumors but we did not know at the time) on Joel's head and he was very concerned and we were told we needed to admit him immediately and start extensive tests the following day. Joel went through rigorous testing and then the dreaded results were given. Joel was at a stage IV the most extensive stage, but we were hopeful that the Lord would use the means of Chemotherapy treatments to restore Joel's body. Joel endured 8 1/2 days in the hospital, came home for Christmas, and returned for his second round of chemo Jan. 3, 2007. Joel had a seizure that night after midnight and went into a coma due to a tumor bleeding in his head area and causing his brain to swell. After tests the following days, the Dr. declared Joel "brain dead" and took us to court to force us to take Joel off life support, as we did not agree with the medical field's definition of death. Our family sought to stand with the scripture, "life is in the blood,"and until Joel's heart quit beating naturally, he was living. We were making arrangements to bring him home and on January 23, 2007 his little heart stopped beating and he went to be with the Lord Jesus in heaven. Our lives are changed forever. God is faithful in the midst of this trial and we look with great hope to be with him someday.