We just got home about an hour ago. We are both very glad to be home and can’t wait to see the munchkins! Josiah started feeling more effects from the chemo late yesterday. He’s pretty groggy right now and not thinking very clearly. His counts will hit their low point probably on Friday…please pray that he can remain healthy and home this time around. I’m also going to ask that you would pray that I would remain healthy and have the strength and patience I need for each day (and night). It’s sooooo good to be home, but it also means I don’t have full time staff (both nursing and custodial)….now I know that there is a loooong line of people ready to jump in when I say the word (and I’m not afraid to do that), but there is a lot that I need to do as well. Don’t get me wrong, I am totally willing to do it and I am able to do it with the strength that God gives me. I’ve just found that my stress level is so high that the smallest thing can just put me over the edge. I just need to learn how to deal with it…and I need to learn to let God use this to teach me endurance and patience (James 1:2-3). Also, my prayer has been from the beginning of all this that not only would God get me through this, but that He would get me through it with a song in my heart. Let me tell you that God is very faithful in answering that prayer…but I need to be still before Him and listen and He will bring a song to my mind to encourage me. Sometimes it’s when I’m listening to the radio or sometimes He just reminds me of one that I already know. I just need to be faithful in asking. So…I’m bringing this request to you so that in the times when I am not asking for God to fill my mind, then I can be assured that someone else is. Thank you to all of you that I know are faithfully praying for us. You have no idea how encouraging that is.
It’s Friday!
We are still plugging along here in Iowa City. Josiah only has 2 more chemo treatments (+ some other meds) left…one at 4pm and one at 4am. I’m hoping that we can get home at a decent time on Saturday. We are soooo looking forward to being home on Saturday and seeing our kids on Saturday….have I mentioned that we are coming home tomorrow as in SATURDAY! Soooo happy about that! We are really digging this 3 day instead of 5 day chemo. Josiah seems to be tolerating this chemo much better than the last round. He’s tired and a little nauseous, but is pretty clear thinking which is a huge blessing.
I just can’t wait to see my munchkins! I can’t wait to kiss those kissable cheeks a million times! The first time we left Ava overnight at Nana’s house for more than 1 night at a time was about a month ago when Ava was 3…little Lincoln is at my mom’s house this week for four nights in a row and he’s only 6 months old (did I mention that he turned 6 months on Wednesday…and I wasn’t even there to celebrate with him…although we did call him on the phone and “chatted”). I miss my chubby little buddy-boy! Oh, and I have great plans for his 6-month photo shoot…we’ll see if it happens 🙂 One of my projects that I brought for this week was organizing some photos on my computer. Now of course 99% of my photos are of my kids, so I have had many reminders of 2 of my biggest blessings. After going through what we have with Ava and seeing God’s mighty hand so evident in her little life, and then having our second little miracle go to heaven before we could even meet her…we don’t take time with our children for granted…not even with our healthy, bouncing baby boy. They are in God’s hands and we wouldn’t want them anywhere else. One thing that has brought me comfort over these last few weeks of separation from our “normal” life is to remember all the times that God mentions in His Word that He will be a Father to the fatherless…and even though I realize that my kids Dad is very much still here, he is apart from them quite a bit right now…but I know that our Heavenly Father will be faithful to fill that void in Ava and Lincoln’s life, and that brings such peace. Do I miss them? You bet! Am I worried about them? No. They are in good GREAT hands! Of course, knowing they are with their ever loving and doting Grandparents helps too 🙂
OK, I need to wrap this up and take my husband for a walk…looks like a beautiful day today and we are going to go out and enjoy it!
Rejoicing day by day!
PS If you want to see proof of how stinking cute my kids are, follow this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39888341@N00/
Beautiful Things 