Abby's Happy Birthday

   This is the story of a community of God's people really stepping in to love in truth and with actions!  I want to be like them!!  Abby had planned her party to be on Nov. 2, a little more than a week past her birthday so that her good friend would be able to be there.   Of course we had no way of knowing what would happen in the week between her birthday (and Nathanael's) and the day of her party.  Nathanael had been sick for a few days and my heart was heavy and struggling to get in the party spirit!  Poor Abby seems to often get the short end of the stick lately when it comes to birthday parties, so I really wanted to help make this one fun for her.  We love that girl a ton.  "Father's joy" she is named and so she is to us all!
   But on the morning of the party day, as I am checking for the cakes to be done in oven, we get the call from the doctor that Nathanael's blood sugar is dangerously high (read about this in the previous post) and my mind starts racing.  What should I do about the party??  Surely I can't still do it, can I?  Oh, but I just can't cancel it!  So I wrestle.... But just that morning, as I do every glorious Friday morning, I was praying with a sweet, kindred friend of mine, and us knowing that something big was happening with Nathanael, I asked her to also pray with me for my sweet Abby and her birthday party.  So when another wonderful friend arrives to care for the kids, while I follow David and the sick boy to the ER, both these lovely friends talk.  And I get a text saying, 'don't worry about the party.  We'll take care of it!'  Even now it brings tears to my eyes!  So my kindred friend takes my girls for the day and decorate cakes, shop for snacks and party favors with great generosity, and decorate the party location!  And that splendidly decorated cake is the work of my artsy oldest daughter, who loved getting to decorate a birthday cake, 'cause in my house that is the mama's job!  And my friend and her husband, rework their date to decorate and host my sweet girl's camping birthday party.  All while another friend has the boys, making plans with yet another friend to keep them all for the night so that I can spend this scary night in the PICU with my baby.
    So after the sick one is settled in his new room, I leave Dad and babe to attend the party of my girl!  And as I arrive and see the tent, and owl and backpack and checked table cloth and bowls of snacks brought by several friends, and see the beautiful cake, I almost cry again!  Overwhelmed by real, tangible, sacrificing love!  Only the raccoon saved me the tears!  This was a family joke and was added to the cake to remind us of a recent camping experience, which made me laugh loud and long!  We sing happy birthday to my girl and this is all happening because of real love and real sacrifice!  And she opens presents from friends of hers and friends of mine, 'just wanting to make sure her party was special' they say. And again, as I drive back to the hospital, thinking about all the ways, too many to record here, but surely recorded in God's great record book, that our friends loved us on that day, I really was overcome!  I cried more joy-tears over all of these things than mournful tears over Nathanael.
And this is what it means to be family, to be part of a Body, whose head is Jesus.
When one hurts, all hurt together.  And when one rejoices, all enter into the rejoicing!
What a lavish God we serve!  And oh, I want to love like they did, like He loves!

Even with her eyes closed, she is so pretty!

Is Rachel sleepy, or just part of the decorations?

This is the camp fire that my sweet friend's husband made for the party.  He is joined here by Micah and his buddy Aiden.  The girls didn't like the fire nearly as much as the little brothers did!

A New Bend in the Road

As I was busily preparing the table for breakfast a few mornings ago, one brother comes into the kitchen a bit distressed telling me that Nathanael has the "blood sugar thing" all out and is about to use it.  Since it contains sharp pieces, I hurried to the dining room, where Nathanael had already climbed into his chair.  I found him with the glucometer in his hand, testing strip out of the bottle and inserted properly, tapping the baby's finger and saying, "blood on it" matter-of-factly in his sweet way.  I smiled as I realized that he was sharing his experience with his baby, just like previously he would put the baby to bed and give it a blanket.  This is the unexpected corner we have rounded in our lives.
A month or so ago, we noticed Nathanael, who just last month turned two, was all of a sudden VERY thirsty.  He was guzzling cup of water after cup of water.  He was soaking through clothes during the day and night.  Then he started feeling tired.  He got so lethargic that he didn't want to do anything but sit in my lap.  He started losing weight.  So I took him to the doctor.  They suggested blood work to investigate.  In the meantime, I saw a friend who is a nurse and she apologetically told me that it sounded an awful lot like diabetes.  Even his breathing began to be labored and David and I knew that something was dangerously wrong with our little boy.  David said, "He's just wasting away."
And as the truth sunk in of the seriousness of it, I began to feel anxious.  As we waited for results from the blood work, I could concentrate on very little, as my mind kept wandering to Nathanael and diabetes.  My heart cried out to God for strength for him and for me.  I have learned one thing throughout the last few years, though, and it is this: My thoughts must stay fixed on Jesus!  Focusing on problems or difficulties always make them feel bigger and me feel helpless, but focusing on Jesus puts my life in the proper perspective, helping me see my life is about His glory and reminding me that the God who made the world is my strength and joy and Rock!  The Spirit brought to mind the well-loved passage in Philippians, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God, and the peace of God, which passes all knowledge, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  And so holding his listless body in my arms, I just praised Him, sang to Him, thanked Him.  And this is eternal life right now!!
The first blood draw revealed some incredibly high numbers so they wanted to do it again.  Again, the same results.  The pediatrician himself called to tell us to take him to the ER at once.  Once at the hospital, he was officially diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and they began to work toward bringing down his glucose levels (well over 500) and "closing the gap," which had to do with ketones and the acidity level in his blood, which was also very high.  About 2am, in the PICU, we got the good news that his levels were in the target range and he was going to be ok!  What a relief!

after a night in the PICU

His first meal!  He couldn't eat until his numbers were down.  Boy was he happy to see that applesauce and cheerios!

Then, we began the journey of learning to take care of our little boy on a whole new level.  I spent one of those first couple of nights grieving over all that he had lost in the diagnosis.  Don't get me wrong-- I am very grateful for medical technology and the chance it gives him to live a relatively normal life.  But day to day life will never be carefree for him.  Though I am sure that grieving and frustration is not over for us yet, I am able to see that this hardship will afford us many more opportunities for friendship and for speaking about His goodness in the midst of difficulty.
It was really a miracle to watch him come alive again!  It almost brought tears to my friend's eyes when she came to see him after two days in the hospital, and found him light up at their appearance and play on the floor.

This was his last day in the hospital.  He was reading books on his couch!

Now he is happy and healthy and clowning around and saying all the cute two year old things, just like before.  The only difference now is that we have to check his blood glucose levels every 2-3 hours, give him 4 insulin shots a day, and monitor and measure very carefully everything he eats!  It is a lot of work!  And we still have a lot to learn. And he has lots of "pokes" every single day.   But God gives grace when it is needed, and I have really felt a peace about it all.  God showed me 2 Corinthians 9:8 a while ago and showed me his abundant grace for every situation in a powerful way.  Here it is:

       “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you always  having

        All sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance  for every good work.”

 Again, I know the fight with this thing is not over, but the victory is God's!  I feel sure of it! The road turned abruptly, but it's ok.  We are walking with Jesus and for Jesus and that makes all the difference.

Birthday Week 2012

We have managed to survive and even enjoy another October birthday week!  Pretty crazy how this has turned out, but 3 out of 6 kids have their birthday in the same week!!  Here are a few pictures and stories from two of the celebrations.  Abby had to postpone her's a bit and then it was complicated by Nathanael's hospitalization.  I'll write about both of those in the next post, hopefully this week!

Rachel with her Caramel Birthday cake.  She had a game night for her birthday, inviting several friends over for a team oriented game night.  We all had fun.  Teen girls are loud!

Here is Nathanael (with dinner still on his face) and Daddy blowing out the 2 candles.  Even now, he is standing by the computer yelling excitedly about "my cake" and "happy birthday to you." 

This is what Nathanael's cake looked like after his good friend Thaddeus, who is just 2 months younger, was finished with it.  Della, T's mom, and I were talking in the kitchen and realized that Nathanael was with us but Thaddeus was not.  I went into the dining room to find him stretched across the table with the salt shaker in one hand, a fist full of cake in the other, and frosting all over his face!  I burst out laughing (not really the best reaction for my friend's sake!) and grabbed the camera!  Notice the salt on the bottom of plate!  Little boys are so entertaining!  And these two, Nathanael and Thaddeus, will give us lots of laughs and frustrations, I am sure! 

This is Nathanael with Thaddeus a few months ago.  Just thought a pic of these two cuties was appropriate after such a story.  They really are great buddies even at such a young age!

Double Arches

No, we didn't spend fall break at McDonalds.  We spent a couple of days camping in the beauty of the Red River Gorge in Eastern KY.  It was beautiful and memorable as we all hiked, cooked and shivered together. On two separate hikes we visited two different natural stone arches.  One of them is quite famous and is part of a State Park, Natural Bridge.  The other is not so well known, but was beautiful, and the kids enjoyed climbing on the rocks surrounding it.  Here is a photo sampling of our fun.

Summer Fun, Girls' Style

This is my beautiful Rachel in the vast ocean.  She loved it in the water and I couldn't resist taking her picture.

Abby with Nathanael in the water.  He would only get it the water if someone took him and held onto him.  Abby is so sweet to her brothers.  She really seems to enjoy interacting with her little brothers, for which this mama is very thankful.  

During a whirlwind trip to SC in July, we spent some time with friends and family.  This is Abby with her best friend from SC riding horses.

Rachel got the privilege of spending 3 weeks with her grandparents in Oregon at the beginning of the summer.  She really had a great time.  This pic is of Micah hugging her goodbye.  They are sweet buddies!

"Lovely picture" might be the sarcastic response I might get from Rachel about this picture.  I included it because her best friend is with her.  This is how Rachel likes to spend her summer, with one friend or another!

We tried a ballet fundraiser at the end of the summer.  The girls both needed pointe shoes for the fall, which are quite expensive, so we decided to bake for cash!  Each of us had a specialty baked good that we were in charge of and we learned a lot even as we made a little money for shoes.  Here are 7 dozen muffins, half banana chocolate chip and half blueberry, that one person ordered for a gathering.   :)

This was the end of a very long day at the State Fair.  We really had a great time, but by this time some of the kiddos are just exhausted.  They were given the choice to go home with grandparents or stay for a late concert.  A couple chose to stay but then regretted it.  Rachel is loving it, though it was the LOUDEST concert I have ever been to!!  Notice Abby on my lap down the aisle, covering her ears and head.   : /

Of course, for the girls, the biggest excitement for the summer is the musical!  This year, not only the girls, but Keenan and Micah participated in it.  This is Abby, Grandpa Obed, and Keenan, who played Davey.  They were the narrators of a 1940's adaption of Ruth from the Bible.  They did a great job!!!  We were so proud!  David wanted to get a shirt that proclaimed that Obed and Davey were in fact his kids!

I had to zoom to get this picture of Rachel dancing in Rahab the Musical, an original musical written by a very talented local fellow.  This was the High School group of kids that performed a retelling of the story of Rahab and Joshua's conquest of Jericho in the context of a group of actors trying to open a new theater in the 40's.  It was extremely well done.

Summer Fun, Boy Style

Daddy and the "littles" relaxing in the hammock together

This boy is so determined and resourceful.  If he wants something, he will do all that he can to get it.  He loves the computer, and often has to be corrected for getting in this chair.  This day, we let him play a simple game after one of the boys finished their game.  What a treat!

About every week, there is a new fort built in the backyard.  The boys love to build forts, but rarely actually play in them for more than a few minutes.  I guess the thrill is seeing it come together.  Notice the creativity here!

Another example of the engineering exploits in the backyard.

Two cuties fresh out of bed.  Good morning my sunshines!

At the beginning of the summer, we went camping with some friends.  We had a blast.  And if you call me, I'll tell you the hilarious tale of the persistent raccoon family.

Keenan is a sweet big brother and often helps out with Nathanael.  Here they are  taking a rest during a hike and checking out the scenery with the binoculars. 

This is not a great picture.  My parents came up to see the the kids in the musical and it just happened to  coincide  with the Kentucky State Fair.  So we took our almost annual trip to the sights and smells and thrills of the fair.  Above is Rachel (far left) and Micah (the litlte one beside her) on this hang gliding ride.  It look scary to this mama, and I probably would not have let him go on it, but David went on it first and gave it the ok.  And Micah loved it!!  He wanted to ride it over and over!  We really had a great time.  Thanks a bunch Mom and Dad!

Slip, slide or dive?  The boys are enjoying some water fun at my parents' house on a very hot July day!   We had a whirlwind trip to SC, vacationing here and there and visiting lots of friends and Melissa's side of the family.

Part of our whirlwind trip was a couple of days at the beach.  How much fun we all had!  Here is a cutie digging in the sand.  He didn't much like the waves but he sure did like digging, gathering shells, and watching his brothers and sisters play in the water.

Here is another cutie on the beach.  Micah lost that front tooth the second day in SC , and then lost the second one on the trip also!  I love those freckles!  

Like a Hen Gathers Its Chicks

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide in under the shadow of the Almighty.  

I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.'...

He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge."

Psalm 91:1-3

When I was in Honduras, we got a tour of the Hospital's farm.  It is a fairly new undertaking, which provides jobs for the locals, food for the Hospital and the Children's Center, and in the years to come has the potential to generate enough palm oil for use as a power source.  During the tour, we came across this mama hen.  She was just sitting on the ground and appeared to have a couple of chicks.  As we continued to talk, I was amazed and surprised to watch several more chicks emerge from under her wings.  As I watched one, then two, and then a third come out of hiding from the shelter of the mama's wings, the Spirit reminded me of the above passage and of a similar one where Jesus cries out that he longed to gather the people close to himself "as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings." (Matthew 23:37) Now with my own eyes, I was able to see  just what that means in a clearer way.  Those chicks were so close to that mama hen that I didn't even know they were there!  She was protecting them, allowing them rest, maybe sheltering them from the sun.  And my great God is a shelter, a fortress, and will cover me under His wings.  If I will trust in Him, if I will allow Him to gather me as a hen gathers her chicks, then I will know security and real rest.  I want to be so close to God that I can feel him and sense His movements.  That I know His protective covering over me and can say in confidence, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust."  I want to run into His Presence, into the shadow of the Almighty, and find rest for my soul!  Won't you come along?  There's room for more!