Joel's Journey: home

Sunday, November 24, 2013

home

We have lived in our house for 20 years but it is 40+ years old. A lot of bumps and bruises. One thing that desperately needed changing was the windows. Many of them were broken, taped up, cardboard on them and in winter, ice was on the inside!! Soooo last week, a dream came true. New windows!! We also did a little face lift on the front porch and added some siding and I made the door a happy color!! Now it doesn't look like a black hole!!! I also love my new pots!! We ate rice and beans so I could buy them....not everyday but I made a menue so we could get them! Ha!!! Anyway...thankful for the transformation!!

2 comments:

Vanderpolclan said...: Cindy, you did a wonderful job. It looks so welcoming! I would love to come for a visit.... but Canada is a ways away.

Cindy; November 25, 2013 at 10:56 AM
Cheryl said...: Oh Cindy, I just love the front porch, looks so inviting!! Might just come right on over! HA!!; November 25, 2013 at 8:40 PM

Post a Comment

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.