Johnstown Albertsons

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, How Does Your Hair Grow?

2012-01-24T15:31:00.013-07:00

My hair as I used to wear it. May 22, 2011

Its former length, at the same time.

Friday, June 3, 2011 we cut off the braid for Locks of Love, before my first chemo treatment.

It was this length for two weeks around my first treatment.

After my hair started falling out, we shaved my head on June 18th. This picture was taken Sunday, the next day.

In July, my head had painful sores on it.

Completely bald, late July.

Sunburned forehead from the holes of the straw hat I was wearing. Little prickle hairs.

September 22nd--last chemo chocolate cake celebration!

September 26th, still a baldy! Eyebrows and eye lashes pretty much gone at the end of treatments.

My hair started coming in very fine and gray. October 10th

October 10th, with Beth's freshly washed hair in comparison!

Thanksgiving week hairdo...

Side-by-side hair-growth comparison: November 12th, December 10th, January 11th, and January 24th. Also shows my eyebrows and eye lashes coming back in.

I am hoping the brown will "overpower" the gray sometime, but I'll be happy with whatever I get back!

Jeffrey's health

2012-01-24T11:10:00.003-07:00

Hi,
I wanted to let people know who aren't on Facebook (Hi, Aunt Joyce!) what has been going on with Jeffrey the past few days. He's had a cold type thing that was hanging on, and then Friday and over the weekend, had not felt well at all: fever, chills, achy, nauseated, when he went up the four flights of stairs, his heart hurt; when he breathed deeply, his heart hurt. He went to the school nurse early Monday morning, and she was afraid maybe mono was returning, which he had in 2009 after his Haiti mission trip. She wanted him to see a doctor. When he called for appointment, the doctor was booked up until February, and the office personnel told him to go to the ER.

So one of the kind GBS people took him to the ER at Christ Hospital. He had a lot of blood work, UA, EKG, chest x-ray done and lots of waiting. He had an IV and was given medicine for nausea, which helped that, and allowed him to get some sleep. (He's been sleep deprived from too much studying.) They were particularly concerned about the heart pain, so did an echocardiogram and CT scan. Apparently they were considering a possibility of blood clot, but ruled that out and decided on pericarditis for the diagnosis. The pericardia is the sac around the heart; it was inflamed. He got IV steroid twice yesterday and was admitted late last night to the cardiac floor, with telemetry monitoring and IV fluids. He was feeling better already late last night.

Today he saw the cardiologist who confirmed the diagnosis. He was released from the hospital with prescriptions for non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs. One he will be on for 90 days, and the other for two weeks.

Several things we are thankful for: that he was properly diagnosed, that the nurse was concerned enough to send him for further help, for the various GBS staff who stayed with Jeffrey--someone was always with him, even overnight!, for the two "big" cousins who live in Cincinnati who are close family for Jeffrey since we can't be there, for all the people who prayed for him, for the fact that he is allowed to be on our insurance, for this not being something worse, that he didn't have to stay longer, and that God was there with him, even though we could not be!

Uncle Jeff and Micah Albertson at Christmas time 2011. Happy 3rd birthday to Micah this week!

Rowen's birthday January 21

2012-01-19T10:30:00.001-07:00

We have the best husband, daddy, and grandpa in the world in Rowen. We are thankful for him and for another time to celebrate his life. Here are some recent pictures of him with his three grandchildren.
Rowen and Quil

Rowen and Micah

Rowen and Charissa

We went to Cracker Barrel to celebrate Rowen's birthday on January 18. A kind customer took this picture of us. The rest of us did get some food to eat a little later! :)

Hinkle Christmas Singing

2012-01-19T09:56:00.005-07:00

This is old news, but it got neglected in the other holiday postings. On December 3, 2011, we participated in a fun, enjoyable Christmas gathering. Mathew and Nicole Hinkle, dear friends of ours, organized an evening of singing Christmas carols and playing string instruments at a church in Loveland. This is their family. Mathew plays the viola, Nicole the cello, and Phoebe the recorder. Ethan has not yet chosen his instrument! :)

Here is Emily playing her violin. Mathew was so kind to us to give us our caroling books early so Jason and Emily could practice their sight reading! The book Mathew compiled contains all the usual Christmas carols, but also many that are not as familiar.

This is Jason playing his cello.

We had finger foods to eat during a break in the music.

Emily and her violin. She is wearing a dress I made for myself when I was 23!

Part of the fun of the evening were the costumes some of the guests wore.

Picture of Emily all dressed up after the singing.

Jason and Emily

Jason--he cleans up well! :)

We enjoyed the fellowship with old and new friends, and the words and sounds of the songs of Christ's birth. We used the caroling books again on Christmas Day to sing and play together with all of our family.
Here is a video of one of the carols.

Awakening Book Review

2012-01-18T21:25:00.004-07:00

Awakening: A New Approach to Faith, Fasting, and Spiritual Freedom
By Stovall Weems

I selected this book to review because I am interested in personal revival. Weems is the pastor of a large and growing church which encourages a 21 day Awakening--prayer and fasting season every January. Many have benefited from the concentrated time of surrendering to God, rediscovering passion for God, experiencing God’s goodness, and making room in their lives for God to fill.
This book is all about having Christ first place in our lives, and doing that through commitment to reading and obeying the Bible, fervently praying, and fasting. Fasting is explained; there are many ways to fast. Activities can also be fasted, besides food.
Most people are familiar with a reboot or reset action for their electronics, but never think of the need for reboot or reset in spiritual terms. This book will enlighten people to that need.
I cannot say that I agreed with every idea or belief mentioned in this book, (I am not a Charismatic), but I believe there is much good that can be absorbed. We all need to focus on God and make space in our lives for Him to be our number one priority.
This book contains The Awakening 21-Day Plan and a Small Group Study Guide.
I definitely recommend personal revival and this book could be used to start a person on that journey.
Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Blogging for Books program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Busy, Fun Tuesday January 3, 2012

2012-01-13T08:26:00.008-07:00

Sunrise on Tuesday, January 3 was spectacular! All of our windows and curtains were glowing with the light. This is how it looked from the window:

The next two pictures were taken from our deck, looking east, then south-west.

We had the special blessing of having Alia and Kara over for the morning to play and renew acquaintances. I babysat Alia from when she was about 15 months, and Kara from her infancy. Now they are 9.5 and almost 8. We haven't babysat them or hardly seen them for a couple of years, and wanted to have them over before they went back to school.

We had a tea party with them and their mom, Cindy, at lunch time. Beth got a tea set from Christmas we wanted to use, so we had a nice tea and visit.

Tuesday evening, Carmen, Mary, and Ephraim Cruz came over for supper and for games. We rarely have this opportunity with the girls being in Florida for school most of the time. So it was fun to get together before Mary went back to college. We played Things and Taboo.

Other pictures from the Albertson Christmas togetherness

2011-12-27T15:19:00.007-07:00

Charissa Joy, 6 week old daughter of Tim and Brenda, was the center of attention this year!

This is how my hair is coming in, so far.

One day Micah and Jeffrey wore matching shirts!

Tim and Randy updated their ABE Painting websites: ABEPAINTS4STATES.COM
and WORK4ABE.COM while they were here.

Joy and Quil

Rowen and Charissa. She slept through the opening of presents.

Jeffrey's new school logo wear

Quil and Micah worked together to open the gifts.

Jeffrey and Jason

Beth's teapot

Emily and Corelle for her hope chest!

Brenda and Tim, Emily and Quil

We had a wonderful time with all of our family here!

Family Pictures on Christmas Day

2011-12-27T14:26:00.011-07:00

For the past few years, it has been a family tradition with us to dress up and do formal portraits at home. This year the girls made semi-matching jumpers for the occasion and the guys were to wear blue or green shirts to go with the girls. We moved furniture and took everything off the north wall and this is what we got! Not exactly studio quality but good enough for our blog...

Here are the Albertsons who still have Johnstown as a legal address. (Though Jeffrey tells us he is a Cincinnati resident now.)

Rowen and Janet, with and without wig.

Jeffrey, age 20

Beth, age 18

Emily, age 13

Since Jason's pictures had too much glasses glare, he got a special one with the baby!
Jason (16), Charissa (6 weeks)

Randy and Joy

Brenda and Charissa

The traditional "stand in order of height" picture. Janet made it to the bottom of the heap this year.

Original children in order of height

Original Albertson sisters

All the Albertson Girls, so far

The unmarried Albertsons

Randy, Joy, Micah, (almost 3), and Quil (4.5)

Rowen, Janet, and grandchildren: Micah, Charissa, and Quil

Tim, Brenda, and Charissa

Emily and Charissa

Quil and Micah sledding

2011-12-27T14:15:00.003-07:00

Quil and Micah have been talking about going sledding in Colorado for months, so we were glad the weather cooperated so that we had snow while they were here, and it was warm enough on December 26 to go sledding. They had a fun time with Uncles Jeffrey and Jason, and Aunt Emily. Grandpa was along to take the pictures.

2011-12-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

Our entire family was together on Christmas Day 2011

Some Movies from Thanksgiving

2011-12-20T15:09:00.004-07:00

Thanksgiving in Columbia, Mo.

2011-12-20T13:43:00.008-07:00

One favorite thing we like to do in Columbia is go for a walk in the woods close by my brother, Lyndell's house. We were so glad to have Jeffrey there with us, even though he didn't get to come to Joplin. Beth, Emily, Jeffrey, Jason

Janet and Rowen enjoying the walk.

Jeffrey wearing his God's Bible School cap and shirt

We went out to "the land" twice. This is where Lyndell and Sharen will build a house eventually. Right now, Lyndell is building this wonderful building.

Some of the Scoles family...

Austin took Emily out on the lake. It was a first for her.

The most popular activity at the land was riding on the 4 wheeler and the magic carpet hooked on behind. This is Jeffrey and Amanda.

Wes and Zane are on the magic carpet.

Emily and Amanda were being daring!

Sometimes you have to wait your turn! Andrew, Leah, Jeffrey, Jason, Rebekah, Tasha, and Blaire

Wes visiting with Mother

Daddy and Lyndell watching the fun.

My mother and daddy! So thankful they were able to be with us; they have been through a lot physically lately.

Mother making the noodles.

My cousins, Kent and Michelle Hulett, who joined us and added to our fun!

We were playing Beyond Balderdash.

My sister, Marlene, and me

Emily, Blaire, Rebekah, and my sister, Brenda

Charley, Daddy, Lyndell, Rowen, and Wesley

Some cooperative piano music by Blaire, Rebekah, Beth, and Jason. In background, Zane and my sister, Sherry.

One of our favorite things to do is play is Round the World Ping Pong. Lots of cousins, aunts, and uncles could play at once!

Mother and Marlene

Mother cross stitched this wall hanging for Marlene's birthday.

Daddy, Mother, and Amanda. This was during our "white elephant" gift exchange.

Another shot a little later.

This is the gift that went round and round the most. It is the train set that belonged to Lyndell when we were kids. He ended up with it.

More Joplin Pictures from Thanksgiving week

2011-12-16T10:20:00.008-07:00

These pictures are not in the order they were taken, but we were only there Nov. 21 evening, 22nd all day, and 23rd morning, so they are within that time frame. These first ones are taken at Randy and Tim's ABE Painting Shop. This is their meeting room that they have remodeled and painted so nicely.
Micah and Quil watching over their new cousin, Charissa.

Quil and Micah really love their cousin.

Charissa a little bit wakeful!

Brenda and Tim and their gift from God!

Pretending to be sleepy!

Showing their mischievous eyes!

Touching gently!

Micah and Aunt Emily

Micah (will be 3 in January) and Quil (4 last June)

Jason holding Charissa at Tim and Brenda's house

Charissa wore this headband for a little while.

Quil and Micah playing play-dough at their house.

More pictures at the shop. Grandma and Grandpa and the grandsons.

Jason was playing Hide n Seek, then it turned into playing Cave. The boys love for Uncle Jason to play with them!

Grandma reading to Quil and Micah

Monday evening meal at the shop with our kids and Brenda's parents, Phil and Kathleen Stevenson. It was so good to see them.

Proud Grandpa and Grandma

Aunt Beth and Charissa at T/B's house

Grandpa Rowen, Micah, and Charissa at the shop

Tim and his mother and his baby girl

Tim taking care of his little treasure

Grandma Janet and Charissa at her house

Grandpa and the baby at the shop

Some Thanksgiving week pictures

2011-12-15T21:53:00.001-07:00

Can I cheat and tell you to click below and see some of the Thanksgiving week pictures?

http://joyforthejourneyemily.blogspot.com/2011/12/1-of-2-thanksgiving-posts.html

Carrot Souffle Recipe

2011-12-12T21:53:00.001-07:00

Carrot Souffle... after the Sunday dinner crowd got to it!

Some of our blogging friends like to post recipes on their blogs, so I figure they might like a recipe from us too. I first had carrot souffle when I was in NC with my cousin's family, and have made it twice for my family since then. I found this recipe online (can't find which website), but altered it, per two commentors' recommendations. Thus I write it here as I make it.

Ingredients
* 8 or 9 carrots, peeled and chopped
* 1/4 c. each of brown and white sugar
* 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
* 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (wow, I forgot to add that on Saturday, and people still enjoyed it!)
* 1/2 c. margarine, softened (1 stick)
> 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
> 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
> 3 eggs, beaten

Directions1. Peel and chop carrots, then boil until very tender; (using as little water as possible because of the nutrition being lost in the water). Drain if necessary.
2. Put carrots in mixer (or bowl, if using a hand mixer), and add all the other "*" ingredients, mixing for a few minutes.
3. Add all ">" ingredients, mixing, just before you bake it. (For me, when I do the time consuming stuff on Saturday night, I then add the ">" ingredients on Sunday morning.)
4. Transfer to a 2 quart baking dish, and bake 1 hour in preheated oven (350 degrees F).
5. Serve to your happy family or guests!

December Year End Summary aka Christmas Letter 2011

2011-12-11T19:55:00.003-07:00

Merry Christmas to all of our friends and loved ones! May Christ’s presence be your treasured gift!

Our year has been full of activities, surprises, difficulties, and rewards. Besides the usual schooling, babysitting, quilting, historical society activities, Sunday School ministry in Denver, etc… This is what happened this year:

In January, Beth flew to North Carolina to spend three weeks at cousin Shari’s, helping after the birth of the newest little Earhart. While Janet got to be judge at the town election, the rest of the family hosted missionaries from Russia, Richard and Judy Grout.

In February, Jason got his wisdom teeth out and interviewed to work at ACE Hardware with Jeffrey. We bought a used 8-passenger van. Our dear friends, Brent and Alicia Susan, and daughter, Tirzah, came for a fun visit. At the end of the month, Rowen, Janet, Beth, and Emily drove to Joplin to see our kids and to go on with them to Indiana to the Bus Convention (Children’s Ministry Convention). Jeffrey and Jason stayed home and worked at ACE. We all enjoyed the Bus Convention immensely. The workshops were inspiring and the evening services were a blessing. We loved seeing old friends and meeting new friends.

After arriving home from Indiana, Janet had a routine mammogram. Because it was suspicious, the following week, she had a diagnostic mammogram, ultrasound, and then the next week, a breast biopsy. On March 22, we learned that she had breast cancer on the right side. Then followed a flurry of appointments with surgeon, plastic surgeon, and MRI. One very good thing that happened during all of this, was learning that Tim and Brenda were expecting a baby in November!

Beth passed her driving test in April. Jason and Beth took the ACT test. Jeffrey had his second gum graft surgery. Beth, Jason, and Emily had Achievement testing. The Steve Geise family, missionaries to South Africa, were here for a short visit. On April 28, Janet had bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction, staying overnight at the hospital.

May was spent waiting on Janet as she recovered from the surgery. The girls took over all the meals and housework. The highlight of the month was Beth and Jason’s high school graduation at Colorado Heritage Education School Services (CHESS) in Greeley. Janet got her drains out the next morning, just in time for the simple graduation party for Beth and Jason at our house with >60 guests. The following week, Janet and Rowen visited Dr. Ann Stroh, the oncologist we selected after learning that two of the eleven lymph nodes were positive for cancer. After this, Janet had a PET scan to rule out cancer anywhere else “from the eyes to the thighs.” Thankfully, the PET scan was clear, and on May 31, Janet had a Power Port placed in her upper left chest for chemotherapy.

On June 1, we were eating breakfast when we heard a noise in our garage, then a knock on the kitchen door. Rowen went to the door and found that Randy, Joy, and family had come for a short visit “on their way” to South Dakota for camp meeting! We packed all the fun we could into the two days they spent with us! The girls started attending Bright Lights Bible Studies with a fun group of homeschooled girls in Greeley. Knowing she would start losing her hair two weeks after the first chemotherapy, Janet decided to donate the bulk of her hair before starting chemo. So on June 3, a friend helped with cutting off 33 inches to donate to Locks of Love. Chemo number one was on June 6. Janet was fortunate to get a bone marrow stimulating shot the day following each treatment which kept her from going too low in immunity. After several days of hair falling out dramatically, on June 18, the family cut off the rest and shaved Janet’s head. The following week, Rowen, Janet, Beth, and Emily went to Joplin. It was time for the annual Woods Reunion, and also Janet’s dad’s Retirement from Ministry Party. It was a fast, hectic weekend, filled with lots of people that we love, and we were back home again to have the second treatment on June 30. We left Emily in Joplin to help with VBS and other children’s ministry. She had a great month with her brothers’ families!

In July, Jason spent a week in New Mexico at a primitive youth camp called Keep Camp. Jeffrey and Beth were the only “kids” at home, and Jeffrey was at ACE a lot, so Beth was busy taking care of so many things for the family. July 21 was Chemo #3. July 28, Tim, Brenda, and Emily arrived home and we had a fun time as Tim and Brenda stayed a few days.

In August, Beth and Emily sang at two nursing homes with their Bright Lights group. Janet had Chemo #4 on the 11^th. Jeffrey flew away to Cincinnati, OH to God’s Bible School to begin his college career. Janet and the girls helped give a baby shower for a dear friend. Emily started 8^th grade, the only student in our home school! Jason took his test and got his driver’s permit. Rowen bravely began driving with him and found him to be the least scary new driver that he has trained!

September 1 and 22 were Chemo treatments 5 and 6, and we were done!!! The girls started back in Bright Lights Bible Studies. Beth was in charge of all the advertising for the Johnstown Historical Society Quilt Show and Craft Fair.

Besides the Quilt Show in October, the highlights included having the Power Port removed and going to the Brown Cabin west of Colorado Springs for the 19^th-21^st. The vacation was to celebrate our 28^th anniversary and being done with cancer treatment! The weather was beautiful and the kids had a great time hiking and exploring in the mountains. Janet enjoyed things tasting normally because of the chemo effect wearing off.

November brought returning strength to Janet and a beginning to the five year follow-up anti-estrogen meds and a drug trial participation to prevent recurrence of cancer. We were able to go to Joplin for a couple of days to see our new granddaughter, Charissa Joy, born to Tim and Brenda on November 12! We also got to see our grandsons, Quil and Micah and their parents. We spent Thanksgiving with most of the Scoles family in Columbia.

We are thankful: for God’s help throughout the cancer treatments, for Rowen’s job and relative good health, despite his diabetes, our children all walking with the Lord, and for God’s faithfulness to supply our needs. We are looking forward to having all the family together for Christmas here. We are trusting God’s presence and help throughout every uncertain day ahead. We know Who holds tomorrow!

Much love from the Johnstown Albertsons, Rowen, Janet, Jeffrey, Beth, Jason, and Emily

P.S. Thank you to each of our faithful blog readers who already know all the details of this year! We have been too busy lately to blog, but when we get time, we will get all the pictures up from our visit to the new granddaughter, and Thanksgiving pictures.

Why are there book reviews on our family blog?

2011-12-03T14:15:00.001-07:00

When I was flying to Indiana in September 2010, I had an interesting seatmate who was heading to a Christian Writers' Conference in Indianopolis. He shared with me about the books he reads and reviews from Thomas Nelson Publishers. I decided to try it. I went to http://booksneeze.com to sign up.
In 2011, I also signed up with http://www.waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks .
Since it is a departure from our usual family happenings posts, I thought I should explain that you will see book reviews from time to time!

Janet

Heaven is for Real for Kids book review

2011-11-29T08:41:00.005-07:00

Heaven is for Real for Kids as told by Colton Burpo to his parents Todd and Sonja Burpo (e-copy)

After reading the original Heaven is for Real book, I was very interested to know how the book for kids would be the same or different. The book for adults has much more time spent on the family, Colton’s illness and treatment, and the way the story of Colton’s visit to heaven comes to light in his conversations. In the kids’ book, the fact that Colton became very sick when he was four years old, and when he was in the hospital he went to sleep and woke up in heaven, is the only mention of his illness. The bulk of the book is telling what heaven is like, in a way that kids can understand and not be afraid about going there.

The book has sweet pictures of what Colton saw in heaven which add to children’s grasp of the words. There are also appropriate Bible verses that go along with each page.

I read this book to my grandsons, ages 4.5 and 2.5. The 2.5 year old did not stay engaged with the story as I read. Probably a good target age for this book is four and up.

The first e-copy I received had capitalization errors, but since I posted the review, the publisher sent me a new file with all errors corrected. I recommend this book for parents to read to their children to start conversations about heaven.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this e-book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Our Joplin Family 22-NOV-2011

2011-11-24T18:19:00.005-07:00

Click on the Title above to see some pictures of our Joplin Albertson families taken in Joplin November 22, 2011. Randy, Joy, James Aquila (4), and Micah Rowen (2). Tim, Brenda, and new daughter Charissa Joy (10-days old). (Said like Cheryl, Charlotte, Chevy..."Shu-rissa')

Tim and Brenda's baby girl!

2011-11-12T07:11:00.008-07:00

Tim and his sleeping baby girl 11-20-2011

Uncle Randy and Charissa getting acquainted 11-20-2011.

Charissa Joy Albertson was born at 12:16 a.m. at home on November 12, 2011. She was 7#, 9oz, and 21 inches long. She has lots of hair! This picture reminds me of Tim's hair when he was a newborn!

Pray for her to nurse well; she wants to have her fists up to her sweet face! Pray for Brenda to recover well. She is tired and weak from the long labor.
We praise God for this precious gift!

Mountain cabin vacation 2011 Day 3

2011-11-11T21:05:00.007-07:00

We're currently waiting for little Miss Albertson (Tim and Bren's girl) to make her appearance any time now, so I thought I'd write this last post about our cabin vacation; so that when she is born, the post announcing her arrival can be at the top of our blog for a while! (Just to be clear, we are not in Missouri waiting for her, but just waiting for the news.)

On the quiet Friday morning of our vacation we decided to play Scrabble. We did have a hard time coming up with any high-scoring words.

Then we took anniversary pictures of Daddy and Mother and went on a little walk around the property's woods.

Daddy and Mother at "Cell-phone Signal Rock":

Beautiful!

Such a restful, quiet, solitary place.

Mother sitting on the porch just before lunch.

After lunch we packed up, cleaned the cabin, and headed down to Colorado Springs. We went to a dollar store and stocked up on prizes for the Federal Heights Sunday School. When we got out of the van to go into the store, Jason's wallet fell to the ground unnoticed. After shopping we went to meet our loved-ones for supper, but when that didn't work out due to an unanticipated doctor appointment, we ate at Carl's Jr. It was there we discovered that Jase didn't have his wallet. We searched the van, and went to the couple of places we had been in Colorado Springs (the store parking lot and our relatives' house), and realized that it had to have fallen out when he got out at the store and was not there anymore. We drove the two hours home. Even though we were concerned and praying about Jason's missing wallet, we enjoyed singing hymns on the way. It wasn't until Saturday morning that we listened to our answering machine. The Christian lady who found the wallet in the parking lot had taken it home with her, not leaving it to be stolen. She found an I.D. card in it that Tim had made for Jase when he was around 9 years old, saw our phone number, called, and left a message. She mailed the wallet and he received it safely in a few days. We are thankful for God's hand in our life situations such as this. He truly cares and answers prayer!

Book Review: Lonestar Angel by Colleen Coble

2011-11-06T20:41:00.002-07:00

From the first two pages of this book, I was captivated by the story line. Eden was in a restaurant, just about to be proposed to, when her former husband showed up! Clay and Eden’s marriage had ended five years before, after their six week old baby girl, Brianna, was kidnapped, and presumed killed. Clay had never signed the divorce papers, and Eden’s lawyer had not followed through when he became ill. Clay had not given up on finding Brianna alive. Now he had news that she was alive and at a youth ranch in Texas. The ranch needed to hire a couple as counselors and dorm parents for foster children. It was a perfect chance to help all these children, but also to find and identify their lost daughter.

Clay and Eden moved to Texas to take the job and fell in love with all five of the little girls in their charge. How were they to find out which one was theirs, since they had not seen her since she was a newborn? From the first night there, some unknown person was intent on causing danger to Clay or Eden. Very soon, Eden found her life in lethal danger. It seemed someone on the ranch must know about and be connected to the kidnapping of their child.

Clay and Eden had both become Christians in their time apart from each other. They had to learn to rely on God and each other for their very lives.

Suspense, danger, romance, and love for children are part of this book. The hurts possible in the foster system and the hurts caused by divorce and unfaithfulness are also revealed in an instructive way.

I enjoyed reading this book. It seemed like all these things couldn’t happen to two people, but if you throw in schizophrenia and drug cartels, maybe it could.

I received a free copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publisher in return for my review. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinion expressed is my own.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Early snow October 25-26

2011-11-04T10:53:00.008-06:00

We interrupt our regularly scheduled "Beth's cabin vacation posts" to bring an update on our early snows and tree damage! The evening of October 25, rain and then snow began falling--just as the weather people had predicted.
By Wednesday morning, there were 10.25 inches on our deck rail, and snow continued lightly throughout the morning. You can see from this picture how the trees still had leaves and they are bent over by the heavy snow. None of these trees are on our property.

We were very glad that Emily had removed the trampoline mat from its in-ground setting the day before, and that the pavilion was also taken down from the deck just in time!

When I took Jason to work at 8:00, we saw that there had been much devastation to our town's trees. There were branches down in almost every yard and even in the streets. Part of the town was without electricity. ACE Hardware, where Jason works, had to be open with no electricity until 11 a.m. They had a generator to run one cash register and used flashlights to take customers to what they needed to buy. They sold a lot of snow shovels that day!
At lunchtime, we were feeling grateful that our tree had not broken. While Emily watched out the window, our Linden tree in front gave way and broke 4 different large branches. Thankfully, nothing was under it to be damaged, like happened for other people in town.

The snow was very wet and heavy.

That afternoon, Jason and Emily built snow walls and had a snowball fight.

On Friday morning, we had Lincoln here to be babysat, so the kids took him to a sledding hill near his house to play in the snow.

This is what our tree looked like on Saturday morning, when Rowen and Emily started cutting out the broken parts. Nearly all the leaves fell off because of the snow.

Looking at the tree from the street view.

Rowen cutting out the broken parts.

There was still snow on the truck he had to clean off so he could haul the branches away. Because it was so warm just days before, the ground was warm enough to melt the snow quickly.

Rowen surveying the mess.

One of the two truck loads of branches ready to take downtown to the branch dump.

Rowen and Emily cut up the larger branches for future firewood.

The pile of firewood from the tree.

How the surgery looked this week after we got another 9 inch snow exactly a week later than the first one!

Mountain cabin vacation 2011 Day 2

2011-11-03T13:42:00.027-06:00

These are pictures from Thursday of our cabin vacation. If for no one else we post them here on our personal "online scrapbook" for our family. Written from Beth's perspective.

Since the temperature was 28 when we got done with breakfast, Emily, Daddy, Mother, and Jason played Rummikub while we waited for it to warm up. Daddy was very brave playing games with us, even if he doesn't enjoy it for himself.

Then we all went out to enjoy the beautiful day.

Aspens left of the cabin.

View right of the cabin, looking off the deck.

Hat on (made by a friend, Judy S.) and stick in hand, ready to go on a hike around the property.

We found this tunnel,

and researching it later Daddy believes it was a marmot restroom. They dig a tunnel then fill it little by little from the middle out. Here is the other end of the tunnel a few feet away.

A wonderful picture of my wonderful daddy!

Mother and the "still in the nest" kids!

This is the spot on the cabin property that has [our kind of] cell phone coverage. We "hiked" there a few times to make calls, especially because Grandpa (Janet's dad) had surgery Thursday.

After lunch, Daddy and I decided to drive west [from Lake George] on US Hwy 24 and see what we could see. At first the scenery was woods: pines, aspens, and prairie grass. Then we reached Wilkerson Pass Summit (elevation 9,507), which overlooked a surprising backdrop: a desert valley, with fourteen-ers rising here and there, in appearance like little mounds of dirt surrounded by desolation. You get the idea. (We discovered that all this area we were traveling in, west of Colorado Springs is called "South Park".)
View west: left and down from where we were. The mountain peaks in the distance were a few of many 14,000 feet above sea level.

And just right of that:

View east: Pike's Peak

We drove on down into the valley, through the here-unpictured desert, on and on, through Hartsel, Colo, and then drove right past the entrance to Antero Reservoir. Oops. I didn't know that was our "destination", but thought if I could convince Dad to, we could stop and see water! That's the exact place he was looking for anyway, because our friend Steve (hereafter mentioned) loves to fish there, and we wanted to know what kind of infamous place it was. We finally found the entrance, and made our way in there (a mile or so).

The reservoir itself was beautiful.

With mountain backdrop, and beachy forefront.

Beautiful.

We had to chuckle at this hilarious sign. Click on it to make it big enough to read.

Sometimes things look better in the rear-view mirror ;)
We just had to drive around Hartsel, when we were on our way back to Lake George. Besides touring one of the little stores (looking for some thing we needed), we drove around on the few short, dirt roads in town. Here I am by the school.. the next building over is the library: open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, if I remember correctly.

Arriving back from our 100 mile round-trip excursion we found that Mother, Jason, and Emily had been Kindle-ing,

Computer-ing, read-ing, write-ing, work-ing on the puzzle,

and hike-ing.

Not to worry, I had been having fun crochet-ing while Daddy was drive-ing, and we did get to go explore-ing in South Park!
Thursday evening we had our friends Steve Cunningham and Tonya Sickler up for supper, games, and visiting. Here's Steve playing "Whoonu?"

Tonya when we were playing "Things". The pencil-ed ear means she was guessed-out already.

Several of us playing "Worst Case Scenerio".
I crocheted during part of it.

And Mother worked on the puzzle

which I had done the borders on, then handed over to her.

This is how much of the puzzle was done when we left on Friday (mostly done by Mother).

Book Review: The Harvest of Grace by Cindy Woodsmall

2011-11-01T08:48:00.002-06:00

The themes of forgiveness and restoration are prominent in The Harvest of Grace, set in the Amish country in Pennsylvania. Sylvia Fisher has violated her own code of conduct. She feels no forgiveness from God, so she runs away to have a new life in another place. Keeping her guilt a secret, she buries herself in hard work. She comes into conflict with a man who has found forgiveness from God, but is trying desperately to receive forgiveness and restoration with his parents.

At the same time, Cara Moore has found safety and love among the Amish community, but finds it difficult to “measure up” to the Amish requirements of learning Pennsylvania Dutch and being a submissive, quiet-spirited woman so she can marry Ephraim Mast. One requirement is that she forgives and has a relationship with her father who abandoned her when she was a child.

The Harvest of Grace is book 3 in the Ada’s House Series by Cindy Woodsmall. Since I had not read the previous books, I had a difficult time keeping all the characters straight, many of whom were related by various connections. Woodsmall is very knowledgeable about the Amish and that shows in every detail of her writing. I have read quite a few Amish books, yet I learned more about their ways in this reading. I would have enjoyed it more if I had first read the others in the series, but it can stand alone with the summaries given at the beginning.

Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Blogging for Books program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Mountain cabin vacation 2011 Day 1

2011-10-22T15:03:00.027-06:00

This post's pictures are especially for Jeffrey.. if the rest of you get bored, oh well. =)

We were so glad that Daddy and Jason were able to get off of work for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday for us to go on vacation in the mountains west of Colorado Springs, at a cabin in Lake George. We vacationed there last year as well, except two weeks earlier than this year, when more of the aspens still had their leaves. Despite "fall" already happening for the most part, we really enjoyed the rest that the quiet and scenery provided for us all.

The Phillips-Brown cabin...

We arrived at lunch time on Wednesday, after Jason (student driver), Daddy, and Beth had all driven. We came down via mountain roads, which were more "fun" than 1-25.

This picture of Jason was actually taken Friday.

After lunch we decided to go driving and find some place to hike. Here's Mother all ready to go... she ended up getting hot in her sweater and hat, because the weather was so nice and she has hot-flashes.

We were looking for a trail that Dad, Jas, and Em had hiked at last year, but after a long unsuccessful search for that, explored and "hiked" somewhere else... Lake George Cemetery. This cemetery was very interesting in that the burial sites were scattered all over the rolling ground, AND up a hill, seemingly without rhyme or reason. Death dates ranged from the 1800s to 2011. Some of the grave sites were surrounded by fencing or wooden frames, while some were simply piles of rocks (poor people buried there).

After we got done looking at a lot of the tombstones and figuring out how old people were when they married (if recorded) or died, and musing about what kind of people they would have been, we decided to hike up the hill behind the graveyard.

Hiking

Mother and Daddy opted to sit and wait for us to finish the climb to the top.

And learn some things about Jeff's camera... =)

Here's Em.. we had to rest before getting all the way to the top.

Beth, after her heart stopped racing.

Jason...

Not posing this time, just enjoying the view.

Which was this:

Coming most of the way down to Mother and Daddy again we found some nice rocks to sit on.. that was until Dad told us there was a cave to look at!

This picture kind of shows how deep it was.

Right beside the cave.

Going back down to the van--notice the headstones in the background?

Next we got our curiosity satisfied about someplace else we had passed on the drive from the cabin--the Lake George Community Park (and Arena). Knowing it to be public property, we walked around, then

played in the park, of course! (This is "scarier" than it looks, at least for "cats".)

You look like a 7, Jas!

The 3 "kids":

Meanwhile Daddy and Mother enjoyed the glider swing, and bravely watched us.

Happy 28th Anniversary, Daddy and Mother!! (Saturday 22nd)

Finally tired from the hiking and playing, we were ready to go back to the cabin... ("just one more" picture first, though!)

...and consume some energy.

This picture ::smiling faces:: was BEFORE the smoke got in our eyes, I'm guessing!

That's smoke from the fire...

And after supper, Dutch Blitz

2011 Quilt Show

2011-10-18T14:56:00.010-06:00

{Please feel free to click on any picture in this post to enlarge and see the details of the quilts!!!}
Our JHS Quilt/Craft/Demo Show was last Saturday. It was one day only this year, so we helped set up on Friday evening, and took everything down on Saturday evening.
There were a record number of quilts displayed this year, 197, with 52 of them made by our featured quilter, Doris Popejoy. It was a joy for me to interview her for the paper, and Beth wrote up a very nice article about her. She has made around 100 quilts, and inspired her daughters and granddaughter to quilt also! Her daughters had beautiful quilts in the show too. This is Doris standing by her 80th birthday quilt (on the left). Her friends in the quilting club made the blocks and she put them together. The fabrics used in this quilt are all 1930s reproduction fabrics.

The following are the front row of Doris's quilts. Her quilts were on three rows. I loved all of them.

This one is one of my favorites of hers.

More of her beautiful quilts.

We had to get creative to fit all the quilts in this year. We added a couple more complete rows, but also strung a second line for Doris's smaller wall hangings.

This one was made by Doris's daughter, Laura Morrison, and she won the Arias Floral Business Choice. This was paper pieced, and after quilting, many tiny "gems" were added.

Patricia Lamfers won 1st place in the viewer's choice with her "Colorado Gold" quilt. It was also chosen as Hays Market Business Choice. The machine embroidery is truly wonderful!

Daisy Bolter made "Irish Sam in the Fields" and won 2nd place in the viewer's choice. I told her my quilt was honored to hang beside her winning quilt. (You can see my quilt at the right edge of the picture.) The quilting on this one was so special and I loved the mint green and browns.

This closer view shows the quilting better.

This is called "Down on the Farm" and was the 3rd place viewer's choice. It was made by Minerva Lee. The details on it are very amazing!

"Staci's Lighthouses" by Patricia Lamfers was ACE Hardware's Business Choice.

These are some others that our family loved. I voted for this tulip quilt. I loved the colors.

The flowers were so pretty in this one.

Our very favorites are our own, even though they are not fancy or intricate. They are ours! Nine Patch Plaid, which I gave Jason for graduation.

Five Stripes which graces Rowen's and my bed.

My girls "manned" the bake sale table from 9-11 and 3-5. They are old hands at it. This year was my first time to work the bake sale.

We have hundreds more pictures, but won't post them all here! There was also a gym full of vendors selling their crafts, and a hallway full of crafters demonstrating their skills. It was a fun and successful day.

News about Janet

2011-10-18T14:09:00.005-06:00

Last Thursday, I had a check up with the oncologist and signed up for the clinical drug trial. Dr. Stroh thinks I have done extremely well. I know it is all the Lord's help and answers to many people's prayers.

Yesterday I had my chemo port removed. It was in the office of my surgeon. I didn't get to watch, because the blue sterile drape covered my head! It didn't really hurt, just pressure part of the time, and "bee sting" feelings for the stitching back up. I made the mistake of saying "yes" to the doctor's thoughtful suggestion of a waterproof bandage, so that I could have a shower last night. Too late I realized it was the clear bandage I have developed an allergy to throughout the course of this year's procedures! By evening, I was quite red where the sterile drape (with the hole for the procedure) had been adhered for the 15 minutes and where the clear bandage was. Immediately after the shower, I removed the bandage and put a large bandaid on. Normal bandaids don't affect me like the fancy hospital ones do. Vitamin E cream helped a lot with the burning of the allergic reaction. The skin is missing in one spot, but the redness is less today.

I have 6 steri strips on top of the stitches. The steri strips will fall off by themselves in the next week or so. The stitches are supposed to dissolve. A resident shadowing my surgeon did all the sewing.

I am so grateful to have the port out. It was a wonderful thing to have in my body as long as I needed it. I am glad to not need it anymore!

Next week I will see the plastic surgeon one last time and the following day, I will have a fasting blood sugar test, a chest xray, and get to fill out a questionnaire to start the clinical trial of Metformin (or a placebo, if that is the group I fall into). The tamoxifen, (anti-estrogen drug), has been ordered and has not yet arrived, but I'll be taking it daily.

The excellent news today is that I believe I can taste foods accurately now! It is wonderful when food tastes like it is supposed to taste, rather than the taste of a tin can. I am very thankful for that.

Though I still have bruising on three of my fingernails, only one fingernail is loose more than half way down. I think I will only lose that one, if it comes off.

My hair is growing already! Some are just emerging, but there are some up to 3/4 inch long and every length in between. So far, no curls... I have very sparse eyebrows.

I am feeling stronger this week. The weakness of arms and legs was my biggest complaint since the final chemo. Something about "cumulative effect," I suppose.

God has blessed me so much by getting me through the cancer journey. I want to use the time He gives me to be a blessing to others, to give Him praise and honor, and to accomplish what He has planned for the rest of my life. Thank you each one for the prayers you have prayed for me.

Just one miracle this week

2011-10-08T14:44:00.014-06:00

Psalm 33:18 & 20, "Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him... He is our Help and our Shield." Psalm 34:1, "I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth."

This was written on Saturday October 8th, with corrections Thursday, October 13th. It happened Friday, October 7th. (This is written by Beth, for those who see Mother's blog notes on facebook.)

I say "just one miracle", because I'm sure the Lord has given us many this week, but this one was "special".

What didn't happen is the miracle. Today my sister Emily and I are not dead. In fact we aren't injured. Our windshield didn't even get busted out, as we expected it to. Aren't you glad? I am!

Yesterday was a big busy day. Our dear friends, the Hinkles, just lost their mother/grandmother to cancer last Saturday, and the funeral was yesterday (Friday). I hate to say a funeral was nice, but that one was really good, honoring to the Lord and Mary Anna. After the service some went to the graveyard for the service there. Our family did because of Jason and Daddy being pall-bearers, but Jason and we girls had to leave right after he was done helping because he had to get to work. We three came home, ate (really quickly), then we dropped Jas off at work and we headed to the BRIGHT Lights meeting, for which we were already late. (It was, fortunately, an excused tardy. =) )

We drove out of town by going north on CR 17 and were past one of the railroads, less than a mile south of CR 54. There was a truck heading toward us, (to my memory and description to Dad, a stake-side truck) which was carrying building supplies. As it passed us, a large board (Dad and I are guessing a concrete form) came out of the back of the truck and was airborne, and in the path of our car. We surely wondered if it would fly up and crash through the windshield, or hurt our car otherwise. I pressed on the brakes (Emily remembers) but there was nothing else I could do to avoid collision: no shoulder to pull into, no way to change to the opposing one-way lane. Pulling into the ditch of weeds wasn't an option, and no, I sure didn't think to pray in that split second--it all happened so quickly. As the car and board came closer together, the board went around us (miraculously).

I thought everything was fine, although I was shaken, but Em noticed that the right rear-view mirror was gone from its frame. Not knowing whether I should go look for the mirror in the ditch, I pulled over next chance I got (a farm driveway) and called Mother and Daddy (who were at the funeral lunch) while Emily inspected the exterior for other damage (Dad later noticed that the board scraped along the right front fender before catching on the mirror). I was shaking as I told M/D what happened, but assured them that everything was okay. By the time I was done and Dad was comforting me and thanking God for His protection, I was crying. Dad said we should go on to Bible study, because the mirror probably broke and we were much too dressed up to look on the side of the road for it. I dried my tears and told Emily "Let's sing to feel better" (calmer). We got to Bible study safely in time for most of the lesson.

There are many times while driving that the Lord has mercifully spared me from harm that I deserved because of errant driving, but yesterday He put His shield of protection around the car, when I didn't cause the problem and couldn't fix the situation.

When Daddy and Mother got home from shopping (post-funeral), Dad and I drove up to where the accident DIDN'T happen, to look for the board of mirror. We found neither, walking along the road for ~a mile, searching. The construction truck must have stopped and gotten their board. We did find an onion in good condition! Dad has since ordered a replacement mirror.

Reflections:

1. We were sharing our story with a few people after it happened, and got different responses.

Our babysitting girl said it right, "God blessed you!" That's exactly right, it was His shielding, His hand on us.

Our aunt said, "Probably an angel was sitting on the hood of your car and pushed the board around the side!" (This would be like Psalm 34:7, "The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.")

After hearing the story another person (who had seen Dad and me in our mirror-search and asked "why?") remarked "Thank your lucky stars!" We HAD to say, "NO!! Thank the LORD!!" We give Him all glory! We thought about why someone would say what he did, and we think that it is because people know that it was greater-than-human power that would give protection, but they are unwilling to acknowledge God as the Creator, Giver, and Preserver of life that HE IS and do not have the personal knowledge of His work in their lives. (Psalm 34:8, "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!")

2. When we were walking (both north and south on the east side of the road, by the northbound lane) I thought about something: it was more comfortable walking north beside the northbound lane than it was when walking south beside it. Walking north I was trying to be careful, but was walking on, or even a hair west of the white line instead of through the weeds; but walking south I realized what danger was in front of me (all those approaching cars) and was subconsciously willing to risk pricklies in my socks by walking through the weeds, rather than walk west of the white line! I thought about how if people are walking in the ways of the world (north by a northbound lane), it is "easy", and they don't realize the true danger they're in. On the other hand, if people are walking with Jesus Christ, following the Bible, going His way, against the flow of traffic and what the world wants, they are enabled by the Holy Spirit to be on their guard about the dangers surrounding. Sometimes this protection/watchfulness involves a lot of careful thought, self-sacrifice, and yes, opposition (weeds that are prickly).

New Picture of my Fingernails

2011-10-01T21:17:00.002-06:00

I laid my hands on the scanner tonight. This is what my fingernails are doing. All the bruised areas are sore. So far they are not falling off, just hurting! My toenails have some of the bruising too, but they don't complain as much; probably because I don't use them as much!

Book Review: The Scroll by Grant Jeffrey and Alton Gansky

2011-09-28T19:44:00.002-06:00

In The Scroll, Dr. David Chambers is the leading archeologist on a mission in Israel to try to find treasures hidden for thousands of years. The story is set in 2013, so that made it especially interesting to think of what could happen in Israel in the next couple of years. David is a person who has lost his faith in God. A lot of the interest I had in the story was to find out if he regained his faith. Because of the tensions between team members, the unrest inherent in the Middle East, and the spiritual conflict in David’s own heart, constant action and surprising twists occurred.

Much information about Biblical truth is given as part of the story. God’s past dealings with His people Israel and promises for their future are featured. I was challenged to consider just what I believe will happen as the end times wind down. I found myself comparing articles in the newspaper with what I had just read about Israel in the book!

I chose to read this book because of enjoying reading Alton Gansky’s Distant Memory many years ago. Between Gansky and Grant Jeffrey’s writing, this book is cohesive, informative, scary, exciting, and captivating. I recommend it for serious readers interested in Biblical archeology, Biblical accuracy, End Times, Israel, mystery, intrigue, and danger. There is a little romance in there too, but it is not the major theme. God’s patient faithfulness to call people to Himself is a topic that appeals to me.

Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Couple of Blessings

2011-09-27T20:34:00.004-06:00

We just wanted to take the opportunity (our blog) to share a couple of blessings we received from the Lord today, through two different ladies.

1) Plums for Mother. The woman who is learning Dad's work has a plum tree and shared some plums with our family last week. They were VERY yummy, but especially so to Mother. Her taste is very adversely affected with the treatments she's been having, so when something is good, we try to capitalize on that - like having SunnyD available for her to drink! Well, Dad told this lady that the plums were DELICIOUS to Mother, and she gave her some more today. We are SO thankful!!!

2) A homeschool friend picked and gave ~5 or 6 gallons of green beans to us today. We always try to grow green beans in our garden, but have had very small crops for a couple of years. We were so glad for the gift of more to can (or "jar" rather =) ).

Beth's 18th birthday September 26, 2011

2011-09-26T14:03:00.003-06:00

When I think about our daughter, Beth, the word "faithful" comes to mind immediately. Since she was 10 1/2 years old, she has published a monthly newsletter called "God's Girls' Newsletter." When she started it, this is how big she was:

We never would have thought that at age 18, she would still be doing it. She started out typing it in Word, and has since then learned two different versions of Publisher. She has written her own articles, edited articles sent in by the members, designed layouts, mailed and emailed the newsletters faithfully month by month. "I have more understanding than all my teachers..." Ps. 119:99 is definitely true about all my children and their computer skills.

This May, Beth graduated from our homeschool and said she wanted to stay at home and learn more homemaking skills. With this being the year of my cancer journey, she has been invaluable in so many ways: driving me to appointments, doing a lot of the meal preparations and cleanups, cleaning house, keeping laundry going, besides doing her babysitting job and cleaning the Chamber of Commerce every week. She has done some canning, has a quilt in progress (that she designed by herself using Photoshop), and has been one of the main gardeners this summer. I cannot tell you what a huge blessing she is in our home!

Every day she performs whatever needs to be done in our home without complaining or resenting having to do it. She has been active in a girls' Bible study all summer, being a mentor to younger girls. She faithfully helps with the children's ministry in Federal Heights each Sunday, encourages her pen pals by writing interesting letters, and is diligent in personal Bible study and prayers for many on her prayer list.

We are blessed to have such a wonderful, loving daughter! We are praying God will bless her life for the faithfulness and unselfish service she is showing.

Happy 18th birthday, Beth!

Last Chemo Day Praise the Lord!!

2011-09-22T20:03:00.003-06:00

To start off, I thought for educational purposes, I would show you my port site. It is on my left upper chest. I have to have another appointment with the doctor in three weeks, another lab draw, and then I can schedule with the surgeon to have it removed. It is supposed to be an in-office procedure to remove the port. It has been a huge blessing to have the port in place for all the chemo and blood draws. I have some numbing cream I put on it an hour before my appointments and I cannot even feel the poke of the needle into it. The place of "poking" is in the middle, below the longer incision, where you can see the round spot.

This is a picture of me today getting the last chemo infusion. I wore my new pink fuzzy hat and the nurses and other patients loved it! Everybody had to comment on it. One man patient who is getting chemo for breast cancer also, said he didn't think it was my natural hair color. Then we compared our bald heads! Yes, men get breast cancer too! It is more rare, but it happens. In pictures this hat looks almost white, but it is a pastel pink.

This is after the chemo was complete and I am ready to go home. My infusion nurses, April and Kathy are left and right of me, and my oncologist, Dr. Ann Stroh, is on the right of the picture. These are wonderful people and all Christians who care about and pray for their patients. I am holding an afghan gift and a card Kathy made and everyone signed. If you click on the envelope, you will see the word: Survivor, and a poem about it.

Everything went really well today. The part I dreaded the most, when I get the Benadryl, my legs usually getting very restless and jumpy, did not happen today!! That was an answer to prayer.

I found out what the plan is for the future.
In three weeks, I have an appointment to get my labwork checked and visit with Dr. Stroh about followup meds, which will include Tamoxifen for 2-5 years. Since I was pre-menopausal when I started this journey, Tamoxifen is the drug of choice for suppressing estrogen production in my body. My cancer was receptive to estrogen, so it is advantageous to not have it running around in my body. If I have cycles again in the next 2 years, I will stay on Tamoxifen for 5 years. If I do not have cycles again in the next 2 years, I can be put on a drug for post-menopausal women, which I do not remember the name of at the moment.

There is a clinical trial that Dr. Stroh would like for me to be in. Studies have found that diabetic women who are on Metformin do not get breast cancer. So now studies are being done to see if adding Metformin to the anti-estrogen drug regimen is more effective at preventing recurrence of cancer than just the anti-estrogen drug. It is a double blind study, so the doctor nor I will know if I am getting Metformin or a placebo. Metformin is the pill that Rowen is on for his diabetes. I am hoping that that means he will never face male breast cancer!

Dr. Stroh believes that I should have the flu shot, which I will get at that appointment. I have not gotten the flu shot for many years, but she feels it is very important, so I will do it.

She said I will not have mammograms in the future, but she will check me at my every three month appointments with her. These will not continue forever, but at least for a while I will see these dear people every three months. It will not be as often as every three weeks, at least!

Tomorrow I go back for the liter of normal saline, and my Neulasta shot. I stay on steroids by mouth through tomorrow, so I should feel pretty energetic for another day. Thank you to each one for your prayers for my chemo today. I appreciate every one for thinking of me. The doctor said since I have been under the influence of chemo for the past 18 weeks, I should expect that it could take that long to fully recover from the effects.

I am going to try some Tea Tree oil and Hard as Hoof on my fingernails. One of them is loosening up. I really would rather not lose them if I can prevent it.

God is good to me. I feel really blessed for how He has brought me through!! Love to all!

Almost done!

2011-09-17T16:10:00.004-06:00

This next Thursday (September 22) will be my last chemo treatment. I am feeling pretty well and ready to get it over with! This last time, it seemed like the "aggravations" I have for side effects were harder to get through. In the interest of honesty, transparency, and education, I will share what these aggravations are.

I take steroid medicine by mouth the day before and the day after chemo, and by IV on chemo days. This causes a flushed appearance like I am horribly embarrassed (steroid glow). After Saturday, this wanes, and I have the hot flashes every half hour or so that make me hot and flushed. (The chemo sent me into menopause.) If I am at home, I might take off my head covering during these. If I am in public, I fan myself or will myself not to react in any obvious way. I even have hot flashes in the night, so I am taking covers off and on all night long.

By Saturday, I have blurry vision. This lasts about a day. I don't trust myself to drive the Saturday after treatment.

On Sunday, Monday, Tuesday I have bone pain from the Neulasta shot I get on Friday after chemo. It is mostly in my legs and hips, but sometimes shoulders and arms. I take Ibuprofen on a schedule for this and it really helps the pain be less.

By Monday through Thursday, I have gastritis, which includes feeling kind of "flu-y" abdominal cramps, lots of burps and indigestion, running to the restroom, tummy hurting after eating.

By Friday, I am feeling better, more normal and more energy, but there are other things that go on until the next chemo day that are just not fun, but part of the package.

During the second week after chemo, each time I have gotten a sore on the side of my tongue. It takes about three days before it is gone. I am very thankful to only get one at a time, because I know that many people have multiple mouth sores when they are on chemo. While I have it, even talking is painful.

Everything tastes strange, like the taste of metal cans. Some days it is hard to make myself eat. Someone asked me what I was most anxious to eat after I get my taste back. I am planning to enjoy everything, even a glass of milk, tasting normal again. Sometimes I crave a certain food, and it is so disappointing that it also tastes weird. I know it will take longer than three weeks after this last chemo to get my normal taste back, because I have never gotten it back in between the treatments. Almost every day, I think of my brother, who lost his taste and smell from a head injury several years ago, and I know he has it worse than me. I can enjoy the smells of food, and I have hope that soon I will enjoy the tastes of food again.

My eyes have twitched every day since probably the second treatment. At times, the twitching gets really frustrating, so I am glad for the hours that go by without it happening.

My fingernails and toenails hurt a lot. My fingernails have a very strange shape and there are bumps and ridges on them because of the chemo. When I type, or pick things up, or wring out a washcloth, or do any number of things, my fingernails hurt. My toenails hurt also, but not as much as the fingernails. My fingernails have rings in them. I figure kind of like the rings in trees show the years, my fingernails show the rounds of chemo they have endured. They haven't fallen out yet; the doctor says they can.

I don't have the strength or endurance I used to have. Vacuuming one large room in our house makes me tired. When I try to lift heavy things, or hold a baby, I know I am not as strong as I used to be. I know it will take awhile to get over the effects the chemo has had on my overall strength. When we go on walks and do long stairs as part of the walk (like up and down from the track around the football field) my legs are shaky. I hold Rowen's hand because I love him, but also because I need to hold his hand.

One very frustrating thing is short term memory problems. I have a very hard time remembering what I did yesterday, or today, or, what was I doing right before I started doing this? I do remember that they call this "chemo brain." I am hoping that my memory will improve over time.

If you ask me how I am doing, I will say, "Great!" and mean it with all my heart. I have so little to complain about, compared to so many people. I have some inconvenient things going on, but everybody does, or will have inconveniences sometime. I am so blessed to have able bodied, kind, and loving family around me who do everything that I cannot do right now, without complaining, even! Some have intimated that I am trying to make it look too easy, so I thought I would just share the little things I have to complain about. Please know that I will be thrilled to have the last chemo day behind me, but I will not feel well for at least a week after it. Then I will still be working through the other "aggravations" for an unknown length of time. We will wait and see how long it takes.

I am so grateful for God's help to get me through this journey through cancer. Without Him, what would I do? I have the joy of the Lord each day for my strength. He gives me a sense of humor so that I can laugh at myself instead of hating looking like a bald old lady. He has given me a dear husband and precious children who would do anything in the world to help me and regularly do 'way more than their share. Many family and friends are faithfully praying for me. All of our family has been so healthy this summer, so I have not had to worry about germs. Besides all the wonderful birthday cards I got, I have been blessed with many, many 'get well' and 'praying for you' cards. I have a wonderful doctor, and kind, competent nurses. I have gotten excellent care. I feel like I am spoiled rotten!

I hope no one else has to go through the cancer journey. But if it helps to know what mine has been like, I want to share enough details to take the fear out, and help someone to know that they can get through it. With God's help! Never try it without God's help.

Book Review: Stained Glass Hearts

2011-09-13T16:09:00.004-06:00

Stained Glass Hearts: Seeing Life from a Broken Perspective by Patsy Clairmont

There are lots of giggles and laughs in there, or it wouldn’t have been written by Patsy Clairmont, but this book has more serious or somber tones than others I have read. Patsy shares some of the broken pieces of her life, and how God has put her back together, given joy, and brought beauty through the ashes and the tears.

Since I myself am on a cancer journey, I chose to read and review this book to gain more perspective about brokenness and difficult places. Patsy transparently shares how God brought her from phobias and addictions to healing through the power of the Word and trusting God moment by moment to change thoughts and habits.

One section of the book was particularly powerful in my life. Patsy gave five suggestions for maintaining joy through pain. Three of the five were “Choose gratitude.” Gratitude and joy are both choices that we have the power to make. Even in our pain, “we can in the midst of it thank God for who he is. It is a sacrifice of praise when we acknowledge his lordship” (p. 70).

Patsy says many things in this book that we all need to heed. Every life will have struggles, losses, pain, and suffering, eventually. How we respond to these will determine whether the beauty of Christ will shine through our lives. I recommend this book, especially if you love reading Patsy Clairmont and if you are going through brokenness. I will share my copy with the first person to request it by commenting on our family blog.

I received a free copy of Stained Glass Hearts from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for this review.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Jason's 16th birthday

2011-09-07T16:41:00.009-06:00

(This is a picture of Jason enjoying Jeffrey's desk after Jeffrey left for college. Jeffrey misses his good chair quite a bit.)

Last week, Jason attained the age of 16.
He also took the test to get his driver's permit and passed. Now he has a year to learn and practice driving. He worked at ACE Hardware on his birthday until late in the evening. His boss always gets a birthday cake for each one's birthdays, so we waited until the next day to make our special dessert for him. We don't have picture proof, but the blueberry cheesecake was very delicious! Jason's birthday gift was a light for his piano.

The book open on the piano is one from a Walker Hymn Sing. We sing a hymn before prayer each evening.
The special activity for Jason's birthday was going bowling with Uncle Dan and Aunt Esther Mendez and the cousins: Hadassah, Sarah, and Kwani. We were all beginners, as I haven't bowled since 1980, and Rowen since 1983. The kids had never bowled. The Mendezes gave us pointers, and we enjoyed learning. All of us made at least one strike. We played two games and felt appropriately worn out! Thankfully, none of us were the worse for the wear the next day.
We thought this lane label was appropriate for the occasion.

The Kaus Family's new baby

2011-09-07T09:01:00.006-06:00

Our dear friends, Randy and Kelly Kaus, have a new baby boy to love. Luther Lawrence Kaus was born on September 1, and weighed 9 lbs, 4 oz! He is now home from the hospital and we are looking forward to getting acquainted with him. We praise God for his blessings!
Luther's siblings: Quinten, LeighAnna, and Harrison

Kelly and baby Luther

Proud daddy, Randy and Luther

Luther all dressed up to go home from the hospital

Bright Lights Discipleship Group

2011-09-04T14:31:00.001-06:00

Beth and Emily are so glad to have the privilege to be in a discipleship group (Bible Study) with some other homeschool girls. They had seven meetings this summer and are going to continue with nine more this fall.

The meetings usually start with music: singing around the piano; then prayer/memory verse time with partners; then the lesson; an activity; and tea. The lesson curriculum and group is called BRIGHT Lights. (BRIGHT stands for Being Radient in Godliness, Holiness, and Testimony. You can click here for more information. The lessons were written by Miss Sarah Mally, who started B.L. discipleship groups. Now, leaders sign-up to have the "Bible studies" and use the lessons.)

One day they made little "lanterns" out of tea-cups:

They sang some of their songs at two nursing homes; shared testimonies, played piano, violins, and flute, and visited with those there.

Greeley Bright Lights group.

Emily and two others at a Bright Lights meeting.

B.L. group leader, Mrs. Fulton.

More girls...

Having tea...

#5 Chemo done!

2011-09-02T19:30:00.000-06:00

So glad to have chemo treatment #5 behind me. The last one is September 22. At least two people came in yesterday for chemo who did not get to have their treatments. One went to the hospital and the other has to wait a week. I am thankful I have had no delays, infections, fevers, or low blood counts to prevent the treatments. God is better to me than I deserve! I give Him all the praise!

I am feeling well at the moment, but I know that the next few days will bring bone pain, tiredness, some gastritis distress, but trusting I will get through it without being too grumpy or "complainy". My family is always wonderful to do whatever I don't feel like doing and to give me a break.

Thank you every one for the continued prayers. I feel like I am carried by everyone's prayers, so that I don't worry about myself. There are so many others I am able to pray for when I am not bogged down by my own situation. I appreciate each one for praying for me and I appreciate the Lord for answering those prayers!

Jeff is gone to God's Bible School

2011-08-27T17:20:00.002-06:00

On August 15, Jeffrey flew away to become a missions student at God's Bible School in Cincinnati, Ohio. These pictures are from the night before he left.
Daddy and Jeffrey

Mother and Jeffrey

These were taken at Federal Heights during the Sunday School in the evening. Jeffrey did the story since it was three days after Mother's chemo and she wasn't up to it.

Jeffrey has been such a blessing in the Federal Heights work. He has been the song leader for quite awhile. Now I am doing that part. He has also been great at inviting kids and remembering where everybody lives on his route. We really miss him at home and in this ministry, but we know God has plans for his life, and he must prepare for them.

What we do most evenings...

2011-08-27T06:27:00.003-06:00

We take a walk somewhere in our neighborhood. It is healthy for both of us. Usually some of our children walk with us. It is good "together time" to talk over the day's happenings. I'm thankful for a safe town that we can walk in. Usually we try to vary our walks from evening to evening, enjoy different flowers, or neighbors, or yard landscapings.... This picture is on the track around the high school football field.

Recent Quilting Projects

2011-08-25T10:56:00.007-06:00

This is Mother's latest finished quilt. It is a Five Stripe pattern and is very similar to the one she made for Seth and Alesia Stevenson. She had so many blocks left over, she had to make another. It is oversized, so will work on a King or a Queen former waterbed, like theirs. No more fighting over covers! The cedar chest at the end of the bed is Emily's, which Grandpa Scoles made for her this summer while she was at Joplin.

This is the quilt top Mother made especially for Brent and Alicia Susan, our dear friends who live in Pennsylvania. They picked the fabrics and the pattern (Clay's Choice) when they were visiting us in February. Mother is going to send it to them to be quilted and finished in Pennsylvania.

This is the quilt I (Beth) have started. The top left of the picture, you can see the printout of the pattern the quilt will be. I scanned my fabrics and then created the pattern in Photoshop. I found out it is hard to put a quilt together when you make up the pattern yourself!

Part of what I have together so far. Other things have gotten in the way of completing it so far, but Mother will make sure I stick with it and get it done eventually.

August 24 50th birthday for Janet

2011-08-25T08:34:00.006-06:00

Even though this was #50 birthday for me, we didn't think we would be up to having a party. So Beth called and emailed people asking for a card shower for me. As a result, I have heard via cards, email and Facebook from lots more people than could've come for a party!

So far, 103 cards have come; 10 e-cards, over 140 greetings on Facebook. The beautiful roses are a gift from Kevin and Bonnie Peterson, long time homeschool and family friends. The gorgeous Cala Lily is a gift from homeschool friend, Karen Weaver. The shoes are from Rowen; the new mp3 player is from my children. Emily got the Symphony bar and Sunny D for me. (Sunny D being one of the things that tastes good to me during this time, and Symphony being my favorite candy bar!) The box of toffee and the note pad on the right are gifts from Randy and Kelly Kaus, great homeschool and home church friends. The bird card by the shoes is hand drawn by our friend, Beth Ann Worden, from Kremmling, Co. She is Beth's pen pal and is amazingly talented in so many ways, but when we got this in the mail, we realized she is a pencil artist, as well! There are lots of beautiful, uplifting, and funny cards in that pile of cards. If they are still in any envelope, that means they are beautified by glitter.
Oops, I just realized one of the gifts I received is not in the picture. Sunshine Gearhart, another great homeschool friend, gave me a Pampered Chef kitchen gadget for stirring things, beating eggs, etc. Sorry I had already put it in the drawer before the picture!
We enjoyed eating out at Texas Roadhouse in Greeley. Steak tastes yummy to me, where most things don't taste like they normally do while I'm 'under the influence' of chemotherapy.
Thank you to each one who reached out to me with love, prayers, cards, gifts, and thoughts for my birthday!

Book Review: Life Everlasting by Robert Whitlow

2011-08-23T20:25:00.002-06:00

Life Everlasting by Robert Whitlow

Can God heal in ways that we have never experienced or imagined? Is there power to heal in God’s Word and in music? How can a person know whether someone is telling the truth? These are questions I asked as I read this book.

There are so many angles of interest in this book: ethical dilemmas surrounding a comatose patient, legal maneuverings to conceal or reveal truth, proper responses to the use or withdrawal of talents, sharing of the gospel of Christ, and even a little romance.

Lawyer Alexis Lindale must sort through the confusion to be on truth’s side as she deals with manipulative, dangerous, comatose, and damaged people. The priority has to be “life everlasting.”

When I received this book to review, I did not know it was Book 2 in a series. As I read, I knew I was missing some of the pieces to the puzzle. I finished reading it, read Book 1 (Life Support), and then read Life Everlasting again. I enjoyed the book both times I read it. The characters are interesting and spontaneous, and there is surprise and suspense throughout. I chose to read this book because of my nursing background and interest in the plight of the comatose patient. I was intrigued and entertained by this book. I recommend it highly.

I received a free copy of Life Everlasting from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for this review.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

4th chemo treatment today, 2/3 done!

2011-08-11T19:54:00.001-06:00

Hi everybody,

Thanks for the prayers for my health and my chemo treatments. Number 4 went well today. I think I feel better tonight than I have felt after any of the treatments so far. Everybody says I am looking good. I don't know what that means. Maybe they expected me to look worse! I felt like going to Sams Club after the chemo, so I did that with Jeffrey and Beth, who hung out with me today. Part of the time, they had to stay in the lobby, as there were so many patients today. As I look around at the other people going through treatment, I realize how blessed I am to be well and healthy! So many people have a much harder road to travel than I do. Rowen and I had a long walk this evening, and I know that the walking is good to work the chemicals through my body and help to get them processed and out of me quicker. I am thankful for such a loving and supportive family to stand by me and love me through this!

I will still be on steroids through tomorrow, and I found out last time that the extra steroids keep me feeling "up" for a day or so longer than earlier in the treatments. Last time, I still felt relatively well through Sunday, and Monday was the day I started the bone pain. By Wednesday and Thursday, I was having the gastritis symptoms, but not as badly as the first time through, before I went on Prilosec (Omeprazole). By Thursday evening, I was over most of the symptoms and then had a good two weeks of feeling pretty "normal." I was even normal enough to tackle cleaning our three bathrooms yesterday, which I haven't done since my surgery in April! (Don't worry, they have been cleaned regularly by my right hand girl, Beth!)

My eye lashes and eyebrows are thinning out, so I think they will be leaving me eventually. My blood counts have stayed good, with just a little anemia, and plenty of white blood cells.

My next treatment will be September 1. Tomorrow afternoon, I will go in for the extra bag of fluids, and the Neulasta shot. Sixth and final chemo will be September 22!

I want to thank everyone again for every prayer prayed for me and for so many people who have sent encouraging cards to me. God has been my joy, my help, my strength, my healing, and my encouragement in answer to the many prayers. I could not make it without His touch!

Love,
Janet Albertson

Visit from Tim and Brenda, and Emily is home!

2011-08-01T13:54:00.010-06:00

We left Emily in Missouri with Tim and Brenda on June 27. On July 28, Tim and Brenda brought her back home.
This is Thursday evening on our sunset walk around Johnstown Lake.

They surprised us by coming overnight, and that way we got to be with them most of the day Thursday through Monday 1:15 pm when they left for home. It was so good to have them with us. We spent Friday in the mountains, a welcome relief from busyness and heat! What a gorgeous day!

Like I said, it was a gorgeous day in the mountains!
We climbed the tower at the Dam Store because it had been so many years since we had... Brenda took this picture.

We hiked up to this waterfall at the alluvial fan of the Lawn Lake Flood of 1982. This is in Rocky Mountain National Park.

It was so refreshing to sit beside the waterfall and enjoy the coolness, the spray, the sight and sound of the waterfall.

These next few pictures were taken around the waterfall or that hike.

Later, Rowen, Brenda, and Janet walked around Lily Lake. It was a nice, easy walk. The kids took the mountain climb and met us afterwards.

It actually was cool when the wind was blowing over the lake!

After getting home from the mountains, we were privileged to have Jason and Tammy Dodson, Liliana and Lydia, for supper and the evening. They are on their way to China. We are glad we got to see them before they left!

How does our garden grow?

2011-07-27T16:28:00.004-06:00

We got a late start on our garden this year, but it has been a good year with no hail storms. The hair scared away the rabbits, so our garden grows well! We have eaten a lot of lettuce. The tomatoes are still green.

We have been eating zucchini for a couple of weeks. Spaghetti squash are on the left side.

These pictures were taken before the first green bean picking.
Yesterday, Jeffrey picked the first green beans. Beth snapped and canned 9 quarts for us. This is her first time to do it all alone, and it was one of her goals for the summer. Great job, Beth!!

3rd chemo day--half way done with treatment

2011-07-21T18:50:00.008-06:00

Here's part of our day in pictures. - captions by Beth

The first thing is getting a tube hooked up to the port, and drawing blood to test. (The blue thing hanging down in front is the tube connection.) Also, you've just got to chat with whichever nurse is serving at the moment. This is Kathy; she was Mother's main nurse today.

We are thankful for nurses who both have a good sense of humor... they keep people coming back--that's for sure. (We actually can't decide if patients want to come back because of the entertainment the two provide, or if it's that they HAVE to come for chemo!)

This is the computer that they type all sorts of information about your vitals and meds in...

Then it's time to get weighed. (The blood they drew is being tested.)

The Medical Assistant, Aubrey, has to check blood-pressure, temperature, etc. and verify medications/vitamins being taken at home.

Mother had a "steroid glow" at this point. First thing when we get to chemo they have to ask her her name and birthdate, which are both on the label (that's on her arm in this picture), to make sure she's the right person!

Visit with Dr. Ann Stroh and check-up is next.

This is the other nurse, April, in her blue gown. The nurses have to wear one of these every time they hook someone up to a new bag of chemo, and dispose thereof in bio-hazard containers. (She was helping someone else in this picture.)

Chemo infusion time.
(Actually, Mother gets some preliminary "juices", before the two chemo meds, and gets flushed with normal saline and heparin at the end.)
This picture was taken right before she hooked up the second chemo. The chemo comes in this big "ziplock" bag; and then the blue gown, gloves, and the first (now empty) chemo bag is put in the "ziplock" bag, and disposed of in a bio-hazard bin.

Mother's reading this book to review it for BookSneeze. I'm sorry I didn't get a better picture of her in her chair today.

Lots of documentation on the computer ...

We didn't get a picture, but we always (three times hand running) have a picnic, because of being there over the lunch hour. Today we brought zucchini cake to share with the nurses and patients.

-----
Chemo 3 report - from Janet

Everything went well today. I took the steroids pills yesterday and that was successful in preventing a reaction like I had last time. Tomorrow I go back for the extra fluid and Neulasta shot. My labs were good. I am a little high on wbcs and a little low on rbcs and platelets, but not enough to be concerned. The Neulasta shot is working, causing my wbcs to stay up there!

If this round is like last time, Sunday will be my hardest day with bone pain from the Neulasta shot. The pain will start on Saturday and last until Wednesday, but lessening each day after Sunday. By next Thursday, I trust I will be feeling mostly normal again. The Prilosec (omeprazole) I take every day for the gastritis symptoms I had the first time, really really helped those symptoms. So I am very thankful for that.

Right now, I feel kinda fuzzy headed and a little bleary, but otherwise good. I am drinking lots of water to flush the drugs so they don't hurt my bladder or kidneys. I will even drink in the night and get up to the bathroom several times in the night. We will take a walk tonight, as is our usual evening activity.

Thank you to each one who is praying for me. God is faithfully helping me. Pray for me on Sunday. I would love to have the pain under control and be able to go to the Sunday School ministry, even if I am in the pew, not doing the story. I love those kids and hate missing every third Sunday.

Jeffrey's 20 today!

2011-07-14T07:39:00.004-06:00

On this date, 20 years ago, our family was blessed with our 3rd boy, Jeffrey David Albertson. From the first, Jeffrey was an "easier" child than our earlier models. When I think back on Jeffrey's childhood, I can only remember two really "bad" things that he did. Once he went under the school table, that was disguised as a tent with a blanket over it, and when he came out the front part of his hair was missing! I've told him many times since then, that is why his hair doesn't lay down properly in the front! The other time, we had company, and the adults were busy visiting upstairs. Jeffrey slipped away, got into the game cupboard, and emptied the contents of every game into a pile, and mixed it all up together! That took hours to reorganize.
But most of the memories of Jeffrey as a child are of sweetness, diligence, gentle spirit, helpfulness...About the time he was born, Rowen and I were exposed to more homeschool resources, Christian parenting resources, and after learning a lot of new information, we were ready to be better parents. Thankfully, it wasn't too late for our older two and they benefited from our increased wisdom too.
A couple of pictures from the past...Jeffrey around his first birthday

Jeffrey when he was three years old

I love the expressions of sweetness and joy.
More lately, Jeffrey at Johnstown Lake, wearing the Ukrainian cap he got on his 2009 construction mission trip to Ukraine. Jeffrey also had the privilege of a Haiti mission trip in 2009.

God is calling Jeffrey to prepare for a missions/construction future. He is leaving August 15 for God's Bible School in Cincinnati, OH to study missions. We appreciate Jeffrey's commitment to God's ways. He has been such a blessing in our home, helpful and kind, looking for ways to help. He has been a diligent worker and closing manager at our local ACE Hardware store for two years. He has learned much about thinking through people's problems and how to help them. He has a heart for children, reaching the world with the Word, and doing God's will above all. We love you, Jeffrey! We are going to miss you like crazy! But we always want you to obey God in everything!

American Independence Day

2011-07-04T11:23:00.004-06:00

Reprinted from this Blog post on July 4, 2009 (slightly edited)

One of the things that I did this morning, was what many "red-blooded" Americans have done for generations; I put our family flag in its holder on the front of our house. As I did it, I wondered again why I was doing it, what it really means to me, and what it might mean to others as they drive by our house.

Does it indicate to observers that I am firmly in support of our current federal government, and all that they are standing for and supporting? I certainly hope not!

Does it mean that I want to identify with things like they used to be, say on the original Independence Day? Well, I think so...

Could it mean that I wish to elevate the importance of the U.S.A. above all other countries and peoples on earth? NO! I have too many close relatives living in, and serving the people of countries around the world to ever have that thought...

Is the God of the Bible ever pleased when His people show allegiance to an earthly kingdom, perhaps more, or at least more visibly, than they do to Him? Oh, Lord help us!

I trust that the Lord will bless you and yours by drawing you to His precious heart today and everyday. "Lord, help us to not take for granted the freedom and liberty that are the privilege of each child of God, regardless of where we live on His earth".

2nd round of chemo June 30

2011-06-30T19:58:00.004-06:00

Thanks for the prayers today! I needed them. After the premeds were given and Taxotere was started, about five minutes into it, I started having strange and terrifying (to me) feelings. I noticed my tummy felt sick, then immediately my nose and lips started tingling and my head started buzzing. April, the nurse, was across the room and I said, "April, I feel sick, and my head is tingling and buzzing. I think I'm going to faint!" She came over and pushed the stop button on the IV pump, and took my BP, pulse, O2 level. My BP was up quite a bit from before starting the chemo, from 106/67 to 138/86 I think. Immediately, I started feeling better, so we knew it was a reaction to the Taxotere. She went out of the room and asked the doctor what to do next. The doctor said to give me another dose of the Decadron and the Benadryl I had already had, and to restart the chemo at a slower rate. She came in and talked to me, and said if this didn't work, we would have to change chemo regimen to a different drug. She mentioned the drug and it is one I do not want to be on. I told her I would try to behave better! She had to go over to the hospital next door, so she told April not to restart the drug until she was back in the building. So I got some extra normal saline while we waited. When we restarted the Taxotere, I did not react at all. I got through it all fine, though it took longer because of the waiting and the slower rate. So Beth and I were there from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. I did not have any problems with the Cytoxin either. April said she was praying and I was praying too, because I don't want to change the drugs. I reminded the Lord of all the people who had prayed for this chemo day and thanked Him for all the answers He has given. I now have a prescription for Decadron to take by mouth the day before and day after chemo to help prevent the reaction happening again.

I go back tomorrow morning for the Neulasta shot and a bag of fluids. Because my lab work was so good at my "nadir," I do not have to have blood drawn in the middle of the cycle like last time. The lab work showed that my bone marrow responded very well to the Neulasta and that the chemo doses were the right amount for my body.

I am taking two OTC meds to help with the bone pain and gastritis I had after last chemo. I am very hopeful that these meds will help with the pain and tummy distress I had then. We will see.

I am very thankful for the Christian doctor and nurses that I have there. They are so kind and compassionate to everybody who comes in for treatments. I am so glad for God's help when I felt so terrified that something was going wrong and for the quick relief that He gave. I am thankful for my sweet daughter, Beth, who spent the day with me at the treatment center without complaining.

I am also thankful that we qualified for help from the Komen Foundation and all of my co-pays the rest of the year are covered by them!

Next chemo date is July 21.

I want to share something that helped me this morning from a graduation gift my daughter received from a friend. It is in the book: Hugs for Grads, by Jeff Walling.
"Weakness is no one's goal...Yet grief and loss are the ambassadors of growth and the harbingers of wisdom...Look behind the tragedy, and you are likely to find an opportunity to bless and be blessed. Anything less, and the pain will have been wasted. That is the definition of true tragedy. Dear God, show me the lessons in my weakness and the path to service through my pain."

Thanks for the prayers! God is good all the time!

My speech at the Rex Scoles Ministry Retirement Party

2011-06-28T19:03:00.004-06:00

Forty-two years ago this summer, that would make it 1969—for those like me who find it so hard to subtract since we passed the year 2000—the Rex Scoles family moved to Joplin, Missouri. When we moved here we had no place to live, no job to begin, six children, ranging from 12 down to less than 2, and the promise of maybe $50 per week.

We stored most of our belongings in Walter and Mary Woods’ garage and moved what we absolutely had to have to live into the four rooms at the back of the church. Mother and Daddy’s bedroom doubled as the living room. The kitchen was also utilized for “spit baths,” after heating some water on the stove, and hanging a blanket across the doorway. The other two rooms held the children and their clothing. That was before there was a restroom upstairs and it was a community project to go to the bathroom in the basement.

We kids thought it was a great adventure, living in the back of the church. Mother and Daddy tried to make it that. I remember on Sunday mornings after getting all dressed and combed, going out the back door and walking down the sidewalk, around the corner and going into the front door of the church. “We walked to church this morning!” we would tell the parishioners. And we were grateful to God.

God provided a job for Daddy through the connection of Ralph Hood to his nephew, Gerald, who had a heating and air conditioning company. God had prepared Daddy for that job the previous year when he worked for Grandpa Smith and learned the trade. Back then, the salary was $2/hour. And we were grateful to God.

God provided a house for us to buy and Grandpa Smith provided the down payment. The renters had to move out, so we lived in the back of the church until they did. For “real” baths, we would drive over to Miami to Grandma and Grandpa Scoles’s house on Saturday afternoons and get that weekly task accomplished for eight people. We got to see Grandpa and Grandma Scoles pretty regularly. And we were grateful to God.

I still remember the day we moved into 1101 S. Monroe. I’m sure Walter and Mary helped, no doubt glad to get their garage back. That evening, Mother cooked our first meal in the new house. I don’t remember what was on the menu, except that we had a big bowl of mashed potatoes. Some helpful little girl carried it over to the table, but it slipped out of her hands and crashed on the floor. I can’t remember which one of us angels that was, but as an adult, I have remembered it as a “moving experience.” I remember several of us cried.

The house at 1101 Monroe grew as we did through the years. The carport changed into another bedroom and bathroom. The storage room was turned into Daddy’s office. The new concrete slab we poured was added onto and made into “the new room.” At first it was going to be a screened in porch, but since that didn’t happen, a screened in porch was added later. The front bedrooms were enlarged and the porch with the swing changed the front of the house. When everybody was big enough to help, the garage was added and the prophet’s chamber upstairs. And we were grateful to God.

Walter and Mary helped with many of the building projects. They were the ones who would come by without warning to see what we were up to. Sometimes they would play ball with us—we used to have room in the backyard to play baseball—over the fence was automatic out and the pin oak tree was third base. Sometimes Mary would fold clothes with us if it was laundry day and that was what we were doing. I loved everybody in the church, but I think I loved them the most because they were there in our lives more than anybody else. We loved it when they came over bearing fresh apple pies Mary had just made. She occasionally brought apple pies randomly, but mostly when we had revivals and hosted the evangelist. Once when she was gone to Kansas City at the start of a revival, Uncle Walter brought over apple pies. We kids were convinced his apple pies were as good as Aunt Mary’s! It was some time later when we found out Mary made them for us before she left for KC. For years, every time they brought over pies, we asked which one of them had made them!

When we moved here, the church had theater seats. They were not the padded kind, either. There were three seats in rows on either side and five seats in the middle section of rows. There was a tiny vestibule before coming right into the church. In the back right corner was the stairway to the basement. It was open with a railing around it. The walls were white painted. The church got a much-needed facelift after Big Ray Smith was here for revival. His posterior was a little snug in the theater seat. The particular seat he was in had a loose, sticking up screw. It was more difficult than usual for him to get up and come to the platform. As he went, some noticed that his big Bible was over part of the back of his pants! I believe, and I hope it is true, that his suit had an extra pair of trousers. It was a good thing if that was true.

Years later, Big Ray told me that he carried a piece of fabric from that pair of suit trousers in his Bible to remember that service by. The devil may have intended to distract Big Ray and keep him from preaching the truth, but God came in that service and Big Ray never forgot it. And we were grateful to God.

Anyway, after ruining Big Ray Smith’s suit pants, there was nothing to do but modernize the church sanctuary! The entrance to the basement was changed by adding a wall and door and turning the stairs around. Carpet was chosen and laid. It was red with black flecks in it. And what a wonderful day when the pews were delivered!! Later the drop ceiling and paneling were put up. Our church looked brand new! And no one ever ruined their suit pants on the seats again! In later years, as the congregation aged, pads were added to the pews, the red carpet was replaced with gray, the vestibule was enlarged and the stairway changed completely, and the outside ramp was added for wheel chair use.

I remember the Sunday School teachers. Aunt Lucile Woods was the beginners’ teacher for many years. Mary Woods, Opal Hudson, and Mary Roland were some of the children’s teachers. Lee Ferguson and Walter Woods were youth teachers many years.

We sang “Everybody Ought to Love Jesus, and Everybody Ought to Go to Sunday School” and collected pennies, nickels, and dimes in the penny march every Sunday.

Memories of my childhood at Joplin church:

I remember our parents telling us kids to behave so we wouldn’t get voted out! This happened more in the springtime of the year, and we really tried to behave during the spring. On annual meeting nights, we had to leave early before “the pastoral vote” and went home in fear and trembling, waiting for the call that said whether we could stay or were voted out.

The baby of our family had the habit of falling asleep in church. One time we left him there, asleep on the floor after the service was over. It was totally accidental, and so emotionally disturbing that some members of our family claim it never happened and is a figment of my imagination!

Who could forget how fast the Joplin church used to sing? At least everybody else thought so. We thought all the other fellowship area churches drug their song services!

Sister Hudson told how long ago the Joplin church needed a pianist, and she prayed and the Lord taught her to play the piano! (Which she did until the end of her life, except for a couple years when she stepped aside to let me get some experience.)

I remember Brother Charley Roland coming up to put in his birthday offering and offering to play a tune on his harmonica. However, he could not play it with his teeth in, so out came his handkerchief to put his teeth into while he played. Mother would cover her mouth and tuck her head, shaking it just a dab.

I remember:

The sharp noise Mother made snapping her fingers when we were misbehaving in church.

The look that made you sure a spanking was forthcoming when we got home.

The many times when God’s presence came, and you knew you had “been to church.” A couple times I remember the words that brought the glory: “Thank God for Jesus” and “All that I have is yours.” God came and melted us all together.

The church people I remember from my childhood: Claude and Dora Smith singing “I’m just checkin’ up on my payments to the Lord!”

The old ladies who sat in the middle section: Sister Stretch, Sister Ada Belle Chapell (our own special midget lady), Sister Connor, so tall and thin, Sister Sovey, Sister Kilmer, Sister Stephens, who had to hide from her husband to read her Bible.

Walter, Mary, and Nancy Woods

Lester and Lucile Woods

The Allen Family

The Rolands and Frankie Copher and family

Lee, Kay and Steve Ferguson

Ralph and Winona Hood and Retha

Brother and Sister Lineback

LF and Dorothy Sams

Opal Hudson

The Dinwiddies

The Nivens

Sister Bessie Jewell, who was completely deaf, but lip read so well.

Kenneth Kelly

Ed Sumpter and his mother Sister Sumpter

There have been others through the years that have been part of the church but these were the ones from my childhood.

I remember when Frank Hudson got saved. We had prayed for him for years, but I had rarely seen him before he got saved. He was under conviction and told his wife he wanted to pray to get saved at the church. They came up to the church and he prayed at the altar. Long years before he had blamed God that their little baby boy died. It had been an obstacle for him for years. But that day all stumbling blocks were taken away. There was hardly a service he did not testify in. And when he prayed, I had to peek a few times to see if Jesus was there beside him. He talked to Jesus just like that. He testified that he learned to pray as if Jesus was sitting on the chair next to him. He was such a blessing in the few years before he went home to heaven! And we were grateful to God.

The area churches and especially the area pastors were always so special to us. The preachers’ suppers, Singspirations, revivals, the youth meetings, and youth rallies are wonderful memories.

I always believed that I had the best preacher in the world for a pastor and father. Only God knows the number of hospital visits he made through these 42 years, the home visits, the times of praying for people, helping people out who were in trouble, interrupting a chess game with a child because someone needed to talk to the preacher, the hours of study, the hours of prayer, crying with the grieving, preaching funerals, attending visitations, sitting in the hospital during surgeries… Daddy was there for his flock.

And we were grateful to God.

We kids didn’t know if there were problems in the church. Any problems were not discussed at home in front of the kids. We thought we had the perfect church. We were loved and appreciated and taken care of. And we were grateful to God.

Our mother was there for us at home. She enjoyed the Ladies’ Prayer Meetings while we were at school. She made the ends meet with the money from the church and daddy’s job. Looking back, I find that amazing! We had a secure and loving home. We didn’t have the privilege of Christian school, but we had the benefit of a Christian home where we talked about all the problems of school and people there who made fun of us for being different. We heard good advice: “If they are talking about you, they have a good subject.” “Don’t hold onto grudges.” “Don’t repay evil for evil.” “Payday doesn’t always come on Friday.” And we were grateful to God.

Mother started babysitting to have more money for giving. Her love language is giving, I’ve discovered through the years. She babysat countless children, many of whom are grownups now; one, Donald Wayne Lansaw, in the Joplin Tornado made it to heaven ahead of us. After Daddy retired from his day job, together they helped train many children.

We were loved; we were cared for and prayed for by our parents and the church people.

Time would fail to tell of all the evangelists and missionaries who were fed or stayed at our house. We were blessed by those associations. We were blessed to grow up as preacher’s kids, raised by one of the best preacher and wife combinations in the world. At least we think so! We love you, Mother and Daddy! And we are grateful to God.

Rex Scoles Ministry Retirement Party June 25, 2011

2011-06-28T18:54:00.009-06:00

In another post, I have shared the speech I gave at my parents' retirement service. My parents have given their best to the Master. Daddy has been a pastor for 50 years, 42 of them at Joplin, MO. So many of the ones who have attended church there through the years are already in heaven, so my speech mentions many of them by name. We were honored by the 65-70 people who took time out of a busy day to come and celebrate with us. It was a hot day and the air conditioner at the church went on the blink before the party. We had fans going, moving the hot air around, but kind, gracious people listened and took turns sharing what Rex and Wanda Scoles had meant in their lives. It was wonderful!

There were at least 10 others who came that were not shown seated.

My wonderful and creative sister, Brenda, masterminded the decorations.

Her daughters, Rebekah and Leah were great help.

Some of the doilies Mother has made were used for decorating, along with many pictures from the past.

Leah, pictured above, made this beautiful cake.

Daddy visiting with some old friends.

Everybody had a good time.

While some were eating, others were watching a slide show of pictures from the past 42 years. Rowen spent many hours scanning and photoshopping the pictures to make the slide show.

It was a real blessing to us to be there and recall God's faithfulness through the years. I was blessed to be in the family with the parents God gave me. I love them very much.

30th Annual Woods Reunion

2011-06-28T16:52:00.011-06:00

The 30th Annual Woods Reunion was held in Baxter Springs, KS on June 25, 2011. Below is a picture of everybody who was there when the picture was taken, except for my son, Randy, who was taking the picture, and about 10 people who arrived after the picture was done! Click to make it bigger if you care to.

Here are some miscellaneous pictures from the Woods Family Reunion. My daddy's mother was a Woods, so this goes back 3-4 generations. There are only three of the original Woods family still living: My great-uncles Walter and Lester Woods, and my great-aunt Velma Hinds. Walter is almost 96 years old and he and his wife Mary were the only ones of that generation to get to come this year.
Walter and Mary Woods

My brother, Lyndell, had gotten a Christian Flag for people to write a note to our daddy for his retirement from 50 years of ministry. Here my cousin, Caroline Taylor, and Aunt Elsie and Beth are planning what to write on the flag.

Beth, Emily, Micah and me waiting for the group picture in the gym.

Daddy gave the devotion and led the prayer time.

My grandsons, Quil and Micah, love the nursery in this church. It is well equipped with fun and educational toys. Micah playing the xylophone.

Quil playing the drums.

What is more fun than a "big cousin" to play with? Austin Scoles. Emily played with them too, but she was manning the camera.

Glenn and Melody Goodwin and children, Maggie and Max

Aunts Elsie and Joyce, sister Sherry, Mother and me

Cousins Andrew Owens, Austin Scoles, Leah, Rebekah Owens, Mandy Scoles

Joy, Quil, and Micah, Tim and Brenda, Charley Owens

Cousins: Tasha Wampler, Cody DeOrnellis, Mandy Scoles

Rowen, Daddy, and my sister, Brenda

Nephews Caleb Wampler and Andrew Owens, niece Leah Owens, and my mother, Wanda Scoles

Brother-in-laws Charley Owens and Tim Wampler, and Rowen

Niece Rebekah Owens, sister Marlene DeOrnellis

Sister Marlene, Cousins Glenn and Melody Goodwin, Christy Rowland

Daddy and his sisters, Barbara, Ruth, Leona, Elsie and Joyce

Brother-in-law, Charley Owens talking to Uncle Larry Goodwin. Larry was married to my Aunt Margaret, who is already in heaven. I enjoyed getting acquainted with his new wife, Ruth.

Cousins: Leah Owens, Mandy Scoles, and Andrew Owens

My daddy and his sister, Elsie, exchange a silly gift back and forth every few years.

She said she gets so nervous before she opens it and finds out what it is. They are both so ornery, that she deserves to be nervous!

Sons Randy and Tim talking to Aunt Elsie, Daughter-in-law Brenda talking to Aunt Joyce.