Signing Off

I've gone through a very difficult time in my life this year and feel it is best to rest the blog. I've enjoyed posting and visiting and keeping up with others but I just can't do it any more at this point. Keep our family in your prayers and hopefully we will launch a site again in the future.

Laura Crocker

Bus Calling

Saturday Matt, Phillip and I went calling on our bus route. We are not the bus captains but the captains were all away this weekend so we filled in. We are very familiar with the route and the children so it was a pretty easy task. To navigate through the city I usually try to do the driving and let Matt hop out and knock on doors. That way if we need to move the car or are in a spot where there isn't good parking I can just move. As I was sitting waiting for him to go from house to house talking with the kids I looked around and realized our city is in deep trouble. We were in drug neighborhoods and they were not even being secret about it. Matt asked one dad where his son was since we hadn't seen him in a while on the bus and the dad said he was in rehab for drugs. He is only 14 years old! There were several situations we saw as we went along our route that made us pray even harder for each family. We could have spent the entire day just talking with the families but we had to move on. Some came to the car and talked to me and were very open sharing what they were going through. I really am inspired to pray more for these families. I think every Sunday School teacher should go with a bus captian periodically to see the things their students are dealing with. I enjoy bus calling but it isn't always possible for me to go and still take care of my own children. As it was Phillip was with me this week and read grafitti on the side of a house while we were parked in an alley and I turned around quick to see why he was saying what he was and told him not to read the stuff on the walls. Fortunately he didn't even know what he was reading. He is just learning to read and sound words out.

Well What Do Ya Know?

I was working on lesson plans this morning during my plan period when I was paged and asked to pick up on the intercom. It was the principal calling to tell me her 8th grader had never come home talking about Science until last night. She said both of her boys couldn't quit talking about their Science class and how much fun they had. I told her I had planned that lesson for the second day as my "hook". She said they were definitely hooked! With my class sizes as small as they are I am able to plan more hands on activities. Three of my classes are all doing the same lesson so it makes planning and preparing a little easier.

First Day of School

Up before dawn, showered, dressed, gathered Nathan's clothes, woke Katlyn who always appreciates extra bathroom time, pulled out lunch items to begin putting lunches together, woke Phillip, helped Phillip pack his lunch and have breakfast, woke Austin and Nathan, got Nathan ready, called Austin again, packed Nathan's backpack for daycare, called Austin again, Katlyn, Phillip, and Nathan were ready and in the car and Austin comes down the stairs asking where his belt is and what was there for breakfast. We managed to get out the door just 5 minutes behind schedule. I don't have those "First Day of School" photos because we were lucky to just get there let alone get the photo of the event. I think Austin took a few pictures after school but I have yet to even look and see what he was doing.

Nathan went to the chipmunk room in the toddler program, Phillip went to 1st grade, Katlyn begins middle school in 6th grade, Austin is entering 7th grade and I am enjoying middle school/high school teaching. We all kept pretty busy during the day but I found time between classes and during lunch to touch bases with the kids and asked them how their day was going. They all seemed to enjoy the first day. Needless to say we were all tired as we traveled back home. It's going to be a great year.

Matt was out of town for the first day but we're hoping he will be back to make everyone breakfast tomorrow. He can set his schedule somewhat so he won't have to be "out the door" by 7am like we will. Nathan eats breakfast at daycare so he doesn't have to get up until the last minute.

Tomorrow will be exciting as we make a model of quicksand and experiment with it in my earth science classes.

Slightly Busy

Teachers started back to school this week and I have been extremely busy to say the least. I have a very full load this year and am determined to make it the best year yet for each of my students. I will be teaching HS Physics, HS Literature, MS Science, and a Bible class. I have been busy gathering materials this week so we can have an exciting class. There are aquariums to fill, terrariums to tend to, locate critters to fill the empty homes in our lab, and have supplies for our experiments all set up and ready to go. We will start the year off with an experiment showing a model of quicksand. The excitement is building. The goal for tomorrow is to get the aquariums all filled so they can be running for a few days before we add our fish and bring a little more organization to the science closet.

Praise the Lord!

Mom had a wonderful doctor report today. They had taken another CAT scan last week but she had to wait until her chemo treatment today to hear the results from the doctor and they showed her how the lymph nodes had really shrunk in size since the first treatment. They were able to show her both scans and she could see the difference. They also told her they expect to just do one more treatment at the end of this month and she will be done. She is so excited. In just 3 weeks she will take her last treatment and then just have the follow up visits to make sure everything is okay.

I hope to have a few pictures soon but mom doesn't like having her picture taken. My sister just snaps them and even has a few she could hold for black mail but I'm sure she won't.

Thank you to all who have prayed for my mom. She has had alot of ups and downs and feels tired alot of the time but it looks like the end of that is in sight so I think she can hold on a few more weeks.

Kids Say The Funniest Things

While in Arkansas I went to a Walmart just over the Missouri border (only about 5 miles from my sister's house) and tried to get a few groceries to get us through the next week. I let each child pick one thing that they really wanted for the next week and Katlyn picked a cereal, Austin a drink and Phillip went off towards the meats but quickly came back and asked in a very excited voice, "Mom, where do they keep the Lebanon Bologna?" Poor guy. He settled for a pack of pepperoni as his choice. That isn't all they ate for the week mind you but that was mom's way of keeping them busy for a minute while I shopped for groceries. We did our fair share of eating at my all time favorite BOJANGLES. I even talked Tim and Sharron into going there for breakfast one morning instead of IHOP. Since we've been back I have made sure I had Lebanon Bologna for Phillip.

This picture doesn't even begin to show how large Phillip's ear swelled from a bug bite. When he walked into the living room he was scratching his ear and said, "Mom my ear feels funny." It looked so large and swollen that I couldn't believe it. I checked it out and saw where he had a couple of bug bites and since he and the other kids had some mosquito bites I was pretty sure that was the problem. A nurse at the church we were visiting looked at it and told us to give him benedryl and use ice which we did and noticed a big change overnight.

Phillip speeding around the track

Katlyn did kind of a trampoline/bungee jump.



Katlyn really enjoyed doing this but the man offered her to climb the next level wall once she reached the top and rang the bell but she turned him down. Once was enough. None of the other kids wanted to do it.

Dick Clark's Cafe in Branson

Austin is on the phone with his cousin Kevin telling him what all he is seeing and doing in Branson. Phillip and Katlyn both enjoyed their meals.

Pictures from Our Trip

This is at Branson. The kids rode the bumper boats. Nathan talks about the bumper boats all the time right now.

20th High School Reunion

I just received an email from someone I apparently went to High School with informing me we are having our class reunion this October. He sent me a list of those he'd found and those he'd hoped to find and it is amazing how many I don't even remember. I am getting out the old yearbooks already. I went to a pretty large school and our senior class had over 200 students.

The question is . . . How do I loose 75 pounds over the next couple of months?

I noticed one of my best friends from High School has not been located yet so if you're out there Mike Barron let us know where you're at. I had heard at one time that he and his wife had a son and daughter named Austin and Kaitlyn and I do too. Great minds think alike. I did have some girl friends but most of my friends were guys mostly because I was in the Air Force JROTC program and it consisted of alot of guys. My senior year I was the top dog and beat out poor Mike and Steve for Commander of the squadron. Alot of memories.

VBS Has Begun

Our First night has come and gone. It was a very fast 2+ hours. The buses were late getting in so we started late but then ended late too. There has been alot of sickness amoung the adults who had planned to help this week so we need prayer for them. We had 60 children for our first night. Check Leora's blog using the link on my blog to see pictures in the next day or so.

We Made It!

We are here in Arkansas. We traveled 1,150 miles over two days time. We had no troubles and had a really nice trip. I had been praying about the Suburban's gas milage and the Lord answered prayer. I spent $286 the whole trip for fuel. I was expecting almost double that. We are here to do a Vacation Bible School and also to have a relaxing time with Uncle Tim and Aunt Sharron. Vacation Bible School doesn't start until next week so we have some time to get the last minute things done. We visited the Bentonville Walmart yesterday and were very suprised at the higher prices. Some things were considerably higher. The home office is right across the street from this Walmart. Last night we had a suprise birthday party for Sharron. I do not always have internet availability so I don't know when I'll be able to update my blog.

Cardboard Testimonies

This is a link I found and really enjoyed. I thought you might too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvDDc5RB6FQ

I believe you need to highlight the web address, then click on the Y to search the web and it should come up. I'm not good at posting links I guess.

Our Latest Angel Food Distribution

This is our biggest distribution yet and I think it will be even bigger next month. Our group of volunteers are phenominal! They are cheerful and ready to go. Several helped unload the semi when it came in and put all of the boxes in the right place. There are a group of teenagers and preteens that pitch right in and help wherever they are needed. They carry boxes for people and help keep the lines moving. I will miss next month's distribution due to being out of town. Check out Angel Food Ministries on the web to find a site in your area. It has really been a blessing to many. Even if you feel you couldn't use this for yourself, you may know someone who would and also consider becoming a volunteer for the group in your area. There is alot of work involved in getting this program together but with many hands helping it makes it much more enjoyable.

Knoebles

Most of my pictures are of Nathan because that is who I spent most of my time with. The others wanted to ride the bigger rides so Nathan and I stayed in the kiddie area while they went with Uncle Jonathan and Aunt Sheri and Aunt Jen. I don't think I have a single picture of Austin. I tried to get one of him on a boat but it came out blurry. This was so much fun. We were guests of Aunt Jen's so we send her a big THANK YOU for this special treat. I didn't get a picture of her either! The week before she came and took Katlyn to Hershey Park with her and that was a big hit. She is always so good with the kids and they love her.


Nathan and Carissa rode several rides together. Carissa is my niece and is a favorite of Nathan's. She spends alot of time with him and he just adores her.



We rode this ride several times until we finally were able to get Nathan the tractor that he wanted. It was taken most of the time and we would run back to the start to ride the ride again and someone would already be on it so we would pick something else and try again. He was so excited when we were finally able to get his tractor.

Nathan enjoying the ball pit at Knoebles

Nathan, Phillip, and Randy

Carissa and Nathan

Knoebles! My brother and his family and Jen Hart all went to Knoebles for a fun time.


Carissa and Nathan

We Love Pizza!

After Katlyn's Piano Recital we all went out for Pizza.

Piano Recital

Katlyn took piano lessons for the first time this year. She started out with very little interest in beginning at the beginning since she could play some by ear but eventually she started to enjoy each new lesson.

Youth Camp

This is Austin's first year to go to Youth Camp. He is at Penns Creek with some young people from our church. I am so happy he was able to go. He texted messaged me the first night and said he was having alot of fun and the evening service was really good. Katlyn, Phillip and Nathan have been busy with library programs and play dates. Katlyn had an art lesson today and came home with a beautiful portrait drawing of herself. I think she learned alot in the 2 hour session. I have signed her up for a couple of other classes yet this summer. I have started the potty training phase with Nathan now. I decided with him being the fourth child I was not going to rush him through since it ends up really being me as the one who gets trained as to when to put him on the potty. He has started telling me and has also gone on his own and tried to bring me the potty to show me. I think he is ready now so here we go.

My Kindergarten Graduate

Phillip graduated from Kindergarten! He is not sure if he is ready for 1st Grade yet though. He had a great year in Kindergarten and I know he's ready to move on. We now have just one more at home and it will be a few years yet before he will be ready for school.

Quick Update

I know I am way behind on my blog but alot has been going on around here and I haven't had time to think let alone blog. Mom is doing well as she progresses through her Chemo. She will take her third treatment on Friday the 13th. We went Tuesday to see if Mom could get fitted for a wig. She was able to get one that she felt comfortable with and she is able to put it up a little. We left the hospital where we picked up the wig and I had an interview to teach middle school SS and high school government next year. I was not offered a contract before I left but I do have a good feeling about getting the job. It is a Christian school and all of my children would be able to go with me. Matt and I are still trying to sell our house in Manheim but it has been a difficult journey.

Didn't Quit Blogging

I'm still around. I will be posting tonight after I get home from campmeeting if I haven't had too difficult a night with the kids.

Not Sold!

The offer was, "Would you take $29,000.00 less and oh yeah, would you hold the mortgage for us?" No Deal! We still have a couple of others expressing interest if it works out for them. One lady would like to open a soup and sandwich shop here so maybe she will work out. We have to deal with the zoning to see if that will fly.

Sold ?

We hope so at least. We have only shown our house one time and they people stopped back in today to say they would like to meet with us on Saturday to go over some things but they definately want the house. We are excited but reserved because discussions usually mean they want to make an offer and we'll just have to see what happens. Hopefully things will go great and we will be able to make a deal. At this point we will probably move back to our house in Lebanon for at least the summer while we take our time and find a house that suits our needs. I think we would save tons of $$$ on gas alone by moving back into Lebanon. Pray.

Piano Recital

Katlyn had her first Piano Recital tonight. She did a wonderful job. This is the first year she's had lessons. It was like pulling teeth to get her to practice at first but she's doing a little better now. I did get some pictures but it's too late for me to fool with that stuff tonight.

Our Anniversary

Today is our 15th Anniversary and we are so busy trying to catch up with work and school and all that it looks like we will just have time to meet for lunch. We would like to take the kids and go camping but this weekend is our Angel Food sign up and I need to be there Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday night and Sunday I will be teaching the kidz club at the Gospel Center so it just isn't a good weekend to go anywhere but it sure would have been nice. Monday and Tuesday I will be finishing up teaching the middle school/high school Algebra classes for the year and then I can start planning some fun things to do for the summer.

Already?

When I arrived at my mom's today I discovered she had lost some of her hair already. She had a big clump that fell out when she combed her hair. This is all after only the first treatment! She was a little shook up at first but we quickly got online and found a place to order a couple of turbans (she already had a catalog from this company) and also discovered insurances sometimes pay for wigs. You just call it a cranium prosthesis. I guess technically that is what it is. We will now be taking some pictures of her hair now so we can try to get something simular. This is a tramatic realization which we knew was coming but kinda hoped would wait a little while.

A Good Day

Today mom had a fairly good day. She had back pain but took her pain medicine and the pain was manageable. Sharron and Tim stopped tonight on their way through to Harrisburg to pick up a load. They will deliver in Philly tomorrow and who knows where from there. Tomorrow a couple of the ladies from church are coming over to help hang pictures on the walls. Mom and Dad are moved in but the unpacking has slowed down now. It will help a whole lot to have some of their pictures on the walls.

Dad has been weary throughout the past few weeks and it was understandable when you knew the hours he was keeping and the lack of sleep but when he couldn't seem to shake the dragging feeling he took his sugar test with mom's diabeties kit and he registered over 400. I called a doctor friend at 10pm on a Saturday night to ask if he would be okay until he could get to his doctor on Monday and she said he would but he should be very careful of what he eats. On Monday Dad called his doctor and asked them if they had the results from the blood tests that they took back in March. They did and wanted him to come in right away to discuss them. Funny they never called him to tell him the results were in. Anyway, he has kidney troubles and will now need further testing to discover exactly what the problem is. For the time being he will be changing his diet and starting on some diabetes pills which hopefully he can discontinue when they find the root of the problem. On Monday I was ready to book a double room for them at Hershey Medical Center. I just keep thinking, This Too Shall Pass. (Not These Two Shall Pass!)

If I remember my camera tomorrow maybe I can get a picture of the inside of their house. My sister put a picture of the outside on her blog. My youngest, Nathan, loves to look at that picture and he says, "Paw-Paw's house". I have been puzzled as to why he calls it that when I say we're going to grandma's and he'll say "Paw-Paw's". I think I may have figured it out. I usually call it going to grandma's because when we go we are going to see grandma since grandpa is usually at work. Well, they have now moved and grandpa hasn't worked much since the move and he is usually there now so apparently this is grandpa's house. I wonder if he thinks the other house was grandma's and we have finally found where Grandpa lives?

The Days Just Seem To Fly By

We have been so busy getting our house on the market and trying to plant flowers, spring clean the yard and house. Some days I just feel exhausted looking at the pile of things I need to tackle. Katlyn is my big helper most of the time. One night I had gone to bed but decided, after reading a while, to go back downstairs to get a drink. I saw the kitchen light was on and was surprised to see Katlyn cleaning the sink, floor, counter, and put a centerpiece on the table! I scared her because she thought everyone had gone to bed. She said she couldn't sleep so she thought she would come down and clean what I had left for morning. She is only 10 years old but very thoughtful and helpful.

My mom is doing Okay. I don't know how else to answer when people ask how she is doing. She is in alot of pain and feels sick to her stomach most of the time but some of that is side effects from medicines she has to take for diabetes and the chemo. She gets hungry but then doesn't feel like eating. That would be very frustrating for me as I love to eat. She has an appointment next monday and I guess we will know more then. We have been making several trips to Hershey and it looks like we will be making even more. They installed a port so that she wouldn't have to get stuck with so many needles when they do the blood tests but come to find out, Lebanon doctors don't even know how to use ports! They stuck her anyway and she gets black and blue. I have put my Suburban up for sale because the gas is just too much for that now that I am doing so much running. I am borrowing my sister's car for now and it has over 245,000 miles on it and no AC but I'm saving gas. Sunday as the six of us cramed in it for church there were lots of complaints but I just kept driving saying, "We're saving gas!" We have been so used to a large vehicle. Sunday night we were back into the Suburban. I need to start them out slow.

Stress!!!

Today is an extreemely stressful day and believe it or not it has nothing to do with both of our parents health problems or even our kids. It is just a part of life that we have to deal with and apparently we've not dealt with it very well to this point and it's now causing us a great deal of grief. If you could breath a word of prayer for us we would greatly appreciate it. God knows all about it.

Happy Birthday!

Today is Matt's birthday. He is 39. He has to work on his birthday but he does have plans to go to Florida with his brother Wes this weekend to see his dad. That is exciting since he has been trying to work that out for some time now. He may even get to stay for a whole week. I really hope he does, not because I want him gone but because I know he loves his parents and they are going through some tough times physically right now and he would like to be with them. When they lived in Ohio and we had the first and then the second child, we visited them often. I have lots of pictures of the kids at Grandpa and Grandma Crockers but then the third and fourth child came along and the other two were in school so it became harder to get away.

If you would like to wish Matt a Happy Birthday today you can email him at crockermusic.comcast.net

Visitors from the South

Tonya and Michelle came today from Salisbury, NC to see mom. Michelle is contemplating going to Penn View next year so they are here for the campus days. We would hopefully see alot more of her if she comes that close! John, my foster brother, is facing surgery and was unable to come this time.

Austin and Katlyn have a Spring Program at their school tonight so I am headed there with all but Phillip. He called Grandpa and asked if he could come there instead. I'm telling you that new house has the kids fighting to go over there. Austin and Katlyn are not real enthused about going to their concert. We will be making a change in their schooling next year. Lebanon Christian Academy has been a big disappointment to us this past year. Pray for us as we make decisions on where to send the children next year.

Ups and Downs

Saturday night was a very restless night for mom and Sharron as well as she stayed up with her. They talked and walked around the house through the night. One of the side effects of the chemo she's taking is burning in the stomach and mom has had alot of that which makes it difficult to sleep. She also is just plain restless. She was offered medicine to help her sleep from her doctor but she feels she is taking enough medicine now and doesn't want any more. Hopefully we can get some relief from the burning she's feeling.

Sunday she was able to relax some with a visit from Jamie and his fiance and also Sharron and Tim are still here.

Sunday night brought some much needed rest and now I hear mom is up and doing laundry! Dad called and said she is wanting to do some things around the house and unpack some of their boxes so I may pop over there to help carry some things to her and allow her to do it from her chair. She has waited a long time for her own house in Lebanon and now she is ready to settle it. They still have their home in NC and would like to sell that one but it is needing some TLC since they have not been down there in quite a few years now and it is filled with tenants most of the time.

Thanks for your comments and prayers. Mom and Dad's new address is 415 E. High St. Lebanon, PA 17042. I may have posted that already but I can't remember.

First Treatment Has Gone Well

Mom had her first chemo treatment and has been home this week with lots of people looking after her needs. She of course has alot of aches and pains and is not eating a whole lot but each day seems to be improving. We have taken turns spending the night with her and Friday night Katlyn asked if she could stay with Grandma so she did. We have done this to try and help my dad get some sleep as well. Today Katlyn stayed a good share of the day doing housework for Grandma and didn't want to leave when I came to pick her up. She said she had worked all morning on housework and didn't want to come home and do any. Grandma asked her why she wouldn't want to help at home and she said it was because when she cleaned for Grandma, things stayed clean but when she cleans at home the boys just mess it right back up! Those stinkers. Sharron and Tim have been a HUGE help this week in moving mom and dad. They worked for hours moving, unpacking and cleaned out the house they were in in record time. Now mom and dad can take their time settling in. Our church really rallied around them as well and brought help to unload the truck and some brought food by for the workers =). Hopefully the biggest battle is behind us and we can concentrate on getting mom through the next 5 months of treatment.

Matt's father is home from the hospital but continues to have health problems. They have had hospice in already. Matt has still been unable to get down there to see his father. Since he has not gone like I had hoped he'd be able to, I planned a little birthday party for him tomorrow. He doesn't have a clue since his birthday isn't until Wednesday. It is just a small one with my family. Next year will be the big 40 and maybe I can pull something a little bigger off.

Thanks for all of your continued prayers.

Home!

We were surprised by the doctors today. They had the results from the biopsy and mom's lymphoma is a type that is very treatable and she will do 6 treatments of chemo one every three weeks. They told her they would give her first round tonight and then she could go home. She did very well and Dad and I helped her pack up and took her home. She has a port in so they won't have to stick her with needles all the time. The kids were very happy to see Grandma walk up the sidewalk and into the house. Today was mom and dad's 41st anniversary. Sharron and I will continue to help move them into their home and try to unpack what we can. Mom is feeling a little weak and tired but we're hoping she get's some energy back soon.


On another note, Matt's father continues to be in the hospital with complications with his liver.

So many procedures

Monday was a busy day for mom. They started her off with the echocardiogram to see if her heart was strong enough for chemo treatment. The rest of the day was full of more tests. I arrived at about 8 am and found mom very upset. The doctors come in throughout the day delivering these scare o grams and gets their patients all worked up. Several ladies from the church came yesterday to help clean the house they are moving into and I will be able to be there today to help complete the work. It is looking so nice. There is some painting to be done and the carpets are probably clean by now. We are hoping to have some things moved in for them tonight. I don't know when she is coming home yet but I want things set up for her. I haven't' mentioned my dad much but truthfully we are doing this moving just as much for him as he is very stressed right now and needs this larger house to come home to. He is getting very little sleep and has been unable to get his work done. He has a very flexible job but you do have to spend hours at the courthouse and at appointments and he just hasn't been able to do that. It is a part time job so he is hoping to catch up some hours the rest of this week. I don't think he has even told his boss what is going on yet. I know God is in control and he has unlimited resources. He knows what lies ahead and He will see us through this. We are also so thankful for God's family and the support they have given us. Keep us in your prayers and keep in contact with us. We are very busy but you don't know how much of an encouragement it is for all of us to check our blogs and emails and see how many people are praying and sending words of encouragement. Anita, Mom was flattered that you would even remember her and would email from England. We have been able to have a computer at the hospital and try to read all of the emails to mom. She also has had us use the computer to help her shop! Can you believe it? She had been going to look for furniture for their new place and now she is kinda stuck but she did think of a way to still be able to shop.

Sunday

I arrived at Hershey to be with mom for the day and discovered the doctor had just been in and told her they now know she is at least a stage 3. She has lymphoma in the chest and stomach. Monday they will check the bone marrow to see if it is a stage 4. We are still waiting on the pathologist to see which type of lymphoma and the treatment plans. They were unable to positively determine from the sample they took on Friday. She will probably have to have another biopsy on Monday so they can gather a larger sample. We are remaining optomistic and praying God will guide the doctors in their decisions concerning her treatment. Mom has been in pretty good spirits this afternoon and had some good visits with the grandchildren. Hershey has a nice family room that is very large with a fooseball table, a Thomas the Tank Engine table and a piano so the children have things to keep them occupied while grandma takes turns talking to each of them. It makes for a nice visit and gets mom out of her room for a while.

Keep mom in your prayers. She will be facing more tests next week yet and then face a treatment plan. If you would like to send a card you may send it to 415 E. High Street, Lebanon, PA 17042.

Still At Hershey

The biopsy was scheduled for Thursday instead of Monday so I rushed back to the hospital after planning to stay with Nathan and let mom's sisters visit with her. I spent the night Thursday night, with my mom so she would not have to be alone. I have had help with getting my 4 children to and from school and babysitters and I really appreciate it. Mom was up alot in the night needing this or that and mostly just keyed up and wanting to talk. Her arm had swelled a little yesterday so they took her for a biopsy and a scan on her arm thinking it could be a clot or something. They were concerned about a stroke for a little bit but it turned out to be clear and we think what happened is her IV slipped out of the vein and the meds were going in causing her arm to swell. I got some heat pads on that spot during the night when they came to give her the antibiotics. She was in alot of pain.

Today her sisters are with her and she is in good spirits. She got a preliminary report back from her biopsy and she does indeed have lymphoma and is being transfered to onocology now for treatment. They are still going to wait until the full report comes back before she will start anything. We will be getting a second opinion at the Cancer Center in Philly. She says she will set her mind that what is, is and she will just fight it and do whatever they tell her!

I am home today cooking up a storm for our Spaghetti Fundraiser meal that we had scheduled for Saturday. I wish I could have just cancelled it but we had advertised it some (not as extensively as we had planned) and we're afraid some will come and wonder where we are so I am making the sauce and baking goodies today. I will probably have a ton of leftovers and we will use it all on all the company that is coming to see mom. Her 2 brothers and 2 more sisters will be coming on Saturday. Sharron and Tim will also be here sometime in the night Friday night and Jamie, my younger brother, is on his way back from Utah and should be in on Saturday. I feel like they are coming from all over. =)

Keep us all in your prayers. My dad didn't get to work at all until Friday and he will need to keep up with work as much as he can as they are in the process of moving to a bigger house. Our plan is to try and move them in while Mom is in the hospital so she will have a nice place to come home to. She has been packing and ready to move for a month now and it would be depressing for her to come home to all the boxes she has stacked in every corner. The people that are moving out of the place they are moving into are having trouble getting things moved.

Update

Mom is still in the Hershey Medical Center but should be coming home tomorrow. They were unable to schedule the biopsy until Monday so she will come home to wait and then go have it done as an out patient. She is understandably on edge. Apparently she has had symptoms for about three months now but each symptom could be excused for one ailment or another and she never thought a whole lot about any of them until the excruiating pain in her side and back came. I thought it could be kidney trouble and she thought she had pulled a muscle. Regardless, my mom has a very high tolerance for pain and when she said it was unbearable I knew it was serious. My mom doesn't complain of pain. Thankfully she did agree to go with me to the ER even thought she kinda fought it the whole way. She hasn't been in the hospital in over 30 years.

The doctors will not give any kind of treatment plan until they receive the biopsy back and that could be the end of next week at the earliest. The wait will be hard on mom. Thanks for your prayers.

Urgent Prayer Needed!

My mother went to the ER today with symptoms of kidney stones and after numerous tests we were told she has lymphoma. They admitted her tonight and she will meet with a team of doctors in the morning to discuss a plan. A biopsy will need to be done. She is very nervous and anxious but confident she is in the best of care. Please remember her in your prayers today.

Soo Excited!!!!

Dino Kartsonakis and I April 5, 2008

I have been sooooo excited all day thinking about tonight's concert with Dino. We hired a babysitter (a very rare thing for us), went out to eat (even rarer), and then off to the concert. I wore a bright salmon colored sweater so I would be noticed and hopefully get to go up on stage and play a song with Dino. He always invites someone from the audience to come play a song with him. Well, I tried but he asked for a grandma and I guess he didn't see my gray hair.

His music is awesome! I don't even care that I can't begin to play like him. I just enjoy playing along with a CD. Music ministers to the soul. The way he brings the words of a song to life will make you just sit there and cry. The second half of the concert was mostly singing hymns and then the Hallelujah Chorus in which I thought you should stand for that and so did my husband who did but out of the 1000 or so people he and one other lady were the only ones standing.(I didn't stand right away and Matt sat down)

We had a wonderful time.

Surprise!

Matt's brother, Jeff, and his family came for a nice visit. They came Thursday and stayed until Saturday morning. We had a great time with them. I'll have to post pictures another time. We took them on Matt's camera and I'm unable to download them.

Our Trapper

Austin has bought a few animal traps lately and was intent on catching a skunk and a raccon that he thought was in our trash. He is responcible for getting the trash barrels out each week and he has picked up turned over barrels a number of times now and is wanting to catch the culprit. Well, he did catch the skunk, 3 cats, and a possum! This trap doesn't kill the animals so he has to release them somewhere. He was okay with the 3 cats but the skunk was none too happy and sprayed. Daddy took care of the skunk and went out to get rid of the possum and came back in laughing. Here the possum played dead but peaked out of one eye to see if Matt was still there. Matt said his tongue was out of his mouth and his head was laying to one side and his feet were sticking up in the air. He looked dead. When Austin first went towards him the possum was standing up but when he saw Austin, he threw himself down into his "death" position. It was too funny. They let him go. Our trash has been left alone this week so maybe it was all the skunk's doings.

Two Down

Two of the kids are sick today. Nathan has a very runny nose and gooky eyes and Phillip threw up at school today and had to come home. We were out checking out a piece of property to buy. It didn't turn out to be anything we'd be interested in but we're looking. We would like to have a place big enough for the pony to roam. We will be putting the house we live in on the market very soon.

They Don't Come Any Nicer!

This is a very good friend of ours. Donny Sprecker. He is our bus driver for our Sunday School Bus route. He is such a gem. He takes care of our churches 4+ buses and makes sure they are all running smoothly. When we come to start the route he is already there with the bus running and warm. We really love Donny!

Nathan warming his hands by the fire

This was too cute. Arlene Booth had made a fireplace in her log cabin which she uses for her Kids Club and Nathan kept keeping his distance from that fire saying, "Hot!" . At one point he knelt down and warmed his hands.

Angel Food Ministries

We are about to embark on a new adventure. We are constantly looking for ways to save money. We found this program called Angel Food Ministries which allows you to buy units of food each month for $30 per unit. You receive a menu the month before so you know exactly what you are getting. They give you between $60-70 worth of food for $30! It is all quality food. Our City Church, The Gospel Center, is starting this program March 29th. We have a small volume for the first month and that is just how we wanted the first month to go but we expect it to grow quickly. If your church is interested in becoming involved in this and offering it to their community please contact me. It will benifit us all. This is another way you can reach out to your community. There is no income requirement. This is not just intended for those on low incomes but for everyone! I took a few pictures at our training.

Arianna's Birthday

This is the birthday party bunch.

Arianna Gattone is one of Katlyn's best friends. Her mother always has fun parties. They played several games and as this is still very cold in PA they were all indoor games. This was the big 10!

Uncle Tim and Aunt Sharron

The kids just love their Uncle Tim and Aunt Sharron. They are able to stop in several times a year and always give special attention to their niece and nephews. We can't wait until June when we will be going to Arkansas to visit them.

Snowball Fights On The Bus!

We like to try and keep the kids excited about riding our bus to Sunday School each week. One week we announced that the following week we would be having a snowball fight on the bus. They were pretty excited and the adults on the bus were questioning our sanity. One of our helpers wadded up over 500 sheets of white paper for our "snowball" fight. On the way home the fun began. We had a great time. We have a wonderful driver that tolerates a little bit of noise.

Laws of the Toddler

I have a toddler and know this to be so true!

1. If I like it, it's mine.
2. If it's in my hand, it's mine.
3. If I can take it from you, it's mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
5. If it's mine it must never appear to be yours in any way.
6. If I'm doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.
7. If it looks just like mine, it's mine.
8. If I think it's mine, it's mine.

Do you know a little someone who thinks like that? I know I do.

How Many Colors Can You Name?

28

We've been busy

It seems like we just get busier and busier. Austin is struggling in school due to the fact he was out so much after his surgery and being a boy, he didn't ask for help from his teacher on the assignments missed until they were due. We have had several late nights going over his work with him. I wish I knew someone that was doing the Abeka DVD program for 6th grade so I could let him see the lessons he missed and kinda give him a review. He was able to do that 2 years ago when I was in the hospital and had chosen that year to homeschool. A friend of his was in the same grade and was doing the DVD's so he went over there and it was a HUGE help.

This week is Bus and Outreach Convention and I always love going and hearing new/old ways to present the gospel and be effective in my Sunday School classs. I had 25 8 year olds in my class 2 weeks ago and this past week we had 23. We're still growing and it is a joy to teach.

It was a sad day

Austin's pony was not eating right on Monday so I called Matt who was out of town and told him she was laying down and only drank and ate a little. He got home late Monday night and checked on her. The next morning he loaded her up and took her to an Amish friend down the road where he gave her a few shots and put her in the barn with his horses. He had his vet come look at her on Wednesday but by the time the vet could come back with some electrolites she was gone. They think she ate something that made her sick possibly moldy hay or something in the feed. It is a little strange that the other horse that eats the same feed is doing very well. Austin was a little sad but picked up the paper and was looking for another horse! We really don't have room to raise horses. The children did so enjoy their Ponies and now we have one that will probably be lonely by itself. We've been talking to Katlyn to see if she'd like to sell her Pony or maybe give it to the Amish family so it would be with other horses. She's leaning towards keeping it. It's alot of work but she has kept at it since we bought them in July.

Party Time

Phillip had never had a birthday party so since he's turning 6 this year I thought I'd give it a shot. We invited his classmates and some friends from church. At one point I counted 27 people at his party. The weather was not good enough for us to do anything outside so we set up the bounce house in the sunroom and they had alot of fun. The bounce house made it difficult to do much else so it was a bouncy party. They had hotdog lunches and most declined any cupcake saying they were too full. Today Phillip and Katlyn went home with Dave and Candi Gattone for the afternoon. Next week is Arianna's birthday so we will be going to her house for a little party. It is very quiet around the house today. With two gone and Nathan in bed for a nap and Austin is getting ready to go to Uncle Wesley's house I feel like it is empty. Matt and Austin will be going to Deleware for a day to finish a roof job. Austin will be skipping school to be able to go. I think I will spend my day tomorrow getting my Sunday School room cleaned and organized. It seems like I'm in such a hurry each week that things get thrown into the cabinet very fast and my file cabinet has more on top of it than in it I'm afraid. It's time for a good cleaning.

My Girl

Homework Time. Katlyn is such a sweetie. She helps me around the house so much and especially with Nathan.

The Birthday Boy

Today Phillip turned 6 years old. He is in Kindergarten at Lebanon Christian Academy and is a charming young man. He is such a sweet boy. Today when he came home at noon, I told him we would go to McDonalds for lunch and he and Nathan could play in the big indoor play area. He was very excited to go and they had a good time. Maybe too good. I was enjoying my lunch thinking the kids were fine, everything was safe and they could just play til their hearts content. My lunch was interrupted by loud laughter from about every parent in the room and I looked up to see what they were looking and pointing at and here was my 2 year old, INSIDE the basketball hoop game. Apparently he saw the basketballs and wanted to play but didn't understand you needed to put a quarter in and the balls would come down the chute so you could play. He climbed UP the shoot and then once he was inside the game he decided to shoot a few hoops while in there. There was no way I could get him out of the game except to try to coax him back down the chute. He finally laid down and slid back down and I picked him out but not before he had had time to throw all of the balls out of the game so he could play with them. By the time we left, Phillip was worn out from chasing after his brother. For supper I made Phillip noodles with a hotdog shaped like an octopus. He liked that but asked where his cake was. I tried to make cupcakes for his class last night but my oven went on the blink. He is having a Birthday party on Saturday so the cake will wait til then.

Scattergories

I found this on Jennifer Olsen's blog. It's harder than it looks. If you want to play along you must use the first letter of your name to answer each of the questions. They must be real places, names, and things and no cheating using your name in the boy/girl name question.

What is your name? Laura

4 letter word? Love

Vehicle? Lincoln Towne Car

City: Lebanon

Boys Name: Luke

Girls Name: Lynn

Movie: Love Comes Softly

Occupation: Librarian

Something You Wear: Lingerie

Food: Lasanga

Something Found In The Kitchen:Ladle

Something Found In The Bathroom: Linen Closet

Reason for Being Late: My Little Children and my Loveable Matt

Cartoon Character: Larry The Cucumber

Something You Shout: "Look At Me When I'm Talking To You!"

Animal: Lion

Body Part: Lips

There That wasn't too bad!

Looks just like his Daddy!

Never Stops!

I haven't posted too many posts on what Matt does but believe me he is very busy. He keeps pretty busy roofing and some of it is for the community. This is a house we went and looked at on Friday to see what shape the roof was in. The house has been condemmened by the city and a friend of our assesses the repairs to see if he can bring it up to code and then sells the property. Matt does all of his roofing. I may be just a little biased but I think my husband is the best roofer. He works hard every day. This time of year is not his favorite for roofing. He heats his shingles before he puts them on so the shingle won't split when hit with a nail causing leaks down the road. Friday was a day to go do some roof inspections for a couple of companies.

Happy Birthday!

My baby has turned 2! He celebrated with a small cake which he felt should be just for him. We have another birthday next week so we will have a party for both on Saturday. We just didn't want Nathan's to come and go without doing something special.

Trip to the ER

Now Phillip has had his turn in the hospital. Last night he came running down from his bedroom crying and saying "help me!" His two fingers were just gushing with blood. Once we had them cleaned up we discovered he had cut the flesh completely off the one finger and the other had a big flap. When we got bandaids on them I was able to get him to show me what happened. They had a whiteboard in their bedroom and the edges were off. I guess it had been a larger one and part of it broke so they just hung what was left. It was behind the door and I never paid much attention to it. Phillip was trying to erase the board and got the metal edge. I took him to the ER sure they were going to put stiches in the one finger. I am so sorry I ever went to that hospital. I don't know why I never learn. I usually go to Hershey but one of Phillip's friend's mom works in the closer hospital's ER and he knew that and wanted to go to her. She ended up not being in the same area and wasn't his nurse.

The whole experience was terrible. They acted like they were just practicing on a dummy and not a real person. The PA was not able to relate to Phillip at all. She told him, yeh, him and not his mother, he had two options. He could get a SHOT with a NEEDLE, and they could SEW his finger up and then he would have to COME BACK and get the stiches removed, OR he could let her just clean it up and wrap a tight bandage around it. What do you think he chose? She just didn't want to take the time to put stiches in! I now have a job to change that bandage without tearing the cut open again because there are no stiches. I just wanted out of there. When Phillip cried because he hurt while she was cleaning the cut, she told him she had other patients to see and if he was going to make a fuss she would just go get a couple of nurses and one would hold him while the other nurse cleaned it. Can you believe that is what she told a 5 year old? I was so mad. When she left the room I went to the cupboard and got the cleaning stuff out myself and cleaned up his wound before they got back. They were coming in the room as I was finishing and poked around looking at his cut making it bleed all over again. The one nurse was doing this without gloves on! I should have been more vocal but I just told them we would be leaving if they would just put the bandage on please.

If you are ever in the Lebanon area I would strongly caution you against ever going to the Good Samaritan Hospital. They have a nice looking facility and have alot of updates but the service is still the same.

The Terrible Twos Have Hit!

My little guy is getting into everything! While I am busy cleaning up one mess, he is busy making an even bigger one. I bought a potty seat to start potty training and he brings it to me often saying he needs to go potty. He hasn't gone the first time yet but it's not for a lack of trying. The other morning I just couldn't keep up with him and I needed to get my kitchen cleaned so I put him in the high chair and put a dvd in my laptop. He sat right there watching Winnie the Pooh while I did the dishes and before long I noticed he had fallen asleep. I don't remember the other three being this busy. When I have to correct him or tell him he is naughty, he starts singing "Jesus Loves Me". I guess he likes that reminder that someone loves him even though mommy is upset with him at the moment. He has done that so often now it's hard to keep a straight face when correcting him.

On the Mend

Katlyn is up and around now with just a slight sore throat. She is sure she will not be able to go to Church on Sunday though. I overheard a lady in the recovery area at the surgical center tell her husband she just was not going to church on Sunday so he could just plan now that she would not be going. She told him it was going to be too much trouble to get her hair in some sort of do. I heard him ask her where her bonnet was and she said they had to take it off for surgery so I figured she must be a Brethern or Menenite. I remembered that when Katlyn announced she would not be able to go.

Austin is still very sore and hating to drink all that I'm trying to get down him. The youth pastor just came by with gift baskets of goodies for the kids and that perked them up a little. Austin and I are going to chill out in the livingroom and watch a Monk or Murder She Wrote DVD. We share a like for mysteries and we like how Monk has all those little quirks about him. We can relate a little to him. Matt has a few of those quirks.

Well, the kids are doing better and I think we will be getting a break from this soon so thank you for praying.

Update

The surgeries are over and Katlyn is on her way home with Grandma. Austin had a more difficult time of it so we will be here a bit longer. I am in the recovery room with him now and he is asleep. He woke up very groggy and upset so they put him back to sleep to let the meds wear off a little. His tongue was numb so he didn't feel like he could swallow and it made him mad. His tonsils were huge as well as his adnoids and the surgery took longer making recovery more difficult. I'll update more later.

Busy Day Tomorrow

Austin and Katlyn both have to have minor surgery tomorrow. Austin will have his tonsils and adnoids out so he can finally breath without gagging and Katlyn is having a growth cut from her uvula. Hers will need a biopsy.

Why Do They Use Zeros?

We teach our children that zero is nothing, zip, zilch, nada. Why then do their teachers use it on a Kindergartener's paper and on their report card. My son is in Kindergarten and has a weekly Bible Verse test. He comes home with the paper and at the very top is a nice big O. He takes this as a zero and not as the O for Outstanding that it really is and is dissappointed every week. I have tried to explain to him that it means he got O wrong and everything was great but he gets upset (only for a brief moment) every week over that "grade". The big one was when he came home on Friday with his report card and just threw it disgustingly on the table saying it was all bad. I asked him what was the matter and he said he got all Zeros. I opened it up to discover he had indeed gotten all O's (for Outstanding). I think we convinced him that it was a good report card but I don't understand why they need to use that grading systerm. Obviously the Kindergarteners do not understand the difference between a O and a 0. I mean come on. Who wants a big fat O at the top of their page.

Stress

I found this on a friend's blog and just had to share it.

This is a specially formulated diet designed to help women cope with the stress that builds during the day.

Breakfast
1 grapefruit
1 slice whole wheat toast
1 cup skim milk

Lunch
1 small portion lean, steamed chicken
1 cup spinach
1 cup herbal tea
1 Hershey's kiss

Afternoon Tea
The rest of the Hershey Kisses in the bag
1 tub of Hagen-Daaz ice cream with chocolate chips

Dinner
4 glasses of wine (red or white)
2 loaves garlic bread
1 family size supreme pizza
3 Snickers Bars

Late Night Snack
1 whole Sarah Lee cheesecake (eaten directly from the freezer)

REMEMBER: STRESSED SPELLED BACKWARDS IS DESSERTS

We Finally Have Snow!

We finally got a small amount of snow. Nathan stood at the door and asked to go out for quite a while before I finally decided I would go pull him around on a sled for a bit. The other children were in school. We went up and down the driveway and then over to the market next door going down a small hill on the way. I almost lost him off the sled. Nathan's favorite candy is cowtails so I bought him one and we walked back to the house. When we come back he went to talk to the ponies while I put the sled away and the next thing I knew, he was feeding the ponies a cowtail !

Stuffy Nose

My poor little guy has a stuffy nose! It is such a bummer for him.

Library Day

Every Tuesday I help our School by being the Librarian for the day. I take my niece, Carissa, along to keep Nathan busy in the room across the hall while I have a class. They come over when no one is in the Library. Carissa is a big help. Nathan looks forward to her coming with us. Phillip comes to the library with the First Graders since he misses his regular day with the K-5.

Small World

As our pastor was welcoming the guests today I heard him say Bro. Hoerner from Kansas. My husband's cousin, Dawnette, is married to a Hoerner from Kansas and while we were out here a few years ago we met him and his father. When Bro. Hoerner turned around I saw it was the same man so Matt went to say hello and find out what the relation was to the people from our church he was with. He was with his daughter who comes every week and her brother is Dawnette's husband. She also said her sister is a Huff, mother to Randy and Rick whom Matt also knows. It was nice to see him and discover the connection. I never would have thought we would see someone from Miltonvale, Kansas at our church. That town is so small we pretty much walked from one end of it to the other.

Whose Idea Was It To Buy Him The Football?

Austin wanted an official Wilson football for Christmas. It has been going with him every day to school but what I didn't know was he and Phillip were practicing in the Family Room downstairs where we have a BIG picture window! Well, you can guess what happened. We had a double pained (?) window and one of the windows is now shattered. Matt called a glass company to come and give us an estimate on repairing the window and the man came but said the whole window needed to be replaced and it would be a special order so he needed to go back to the office to write up the estimate. That was two days ago and we still haven't heard from him. At least the one part isn't damaged and we are not out in the cold.

Beautiful Weather

It is so nice here today as it was yesterday. Matt is enjoying this warm spell so he can get some roofing done. He is unusually busy for this time of year. The last ice storm drove many to place a call to their local roofer. We haven't advertised except by word of mouth for some time now. I think we placed an ad in the merchandiser a little over a year ago but that was only for one day and before that it had been a few years. We have all we can handle on our own and when we have tried to branch out, it only causes more headache and trouble than what it's worth. Matt is very particular with his work and ends up redoing what his employees do. From time to time we hire subcontrators to help catch us up. I think we are at that point right now. I substituted in the middle school yesterday for half a day. Today I am the librarian for my children's school. We are keeping busy.

Vision Troubles

Austin broke his spare glasses the first part of December and we had to get him contacts until we could get the glasses fixed. He had already broken one pair of glasses so now I have 2 that need to get repaired. The contacts have been fine until this morning he complained one of them hurt real bad. When he took it out we found it was torn so he had to go to school with only one contact. His vision is terrible without any corrective lens so he did not have a good day. We were able to get another pair of contacts and hopefully will have a the other glasses repaired this weekend. At this point they are telling us his eyesight has changed since his last visit so we need to order all new glasses anyway. It has only been 6 months since his last visit.

A New Year

I have felt for some time now like I am just flying through life. The kids have grown up so fast and it seems like every time I turn my head they grown by leaps and bounds. Sometimes I look at my pictures and wish I had the energy I used to have when Austin and Katlyn were the ages of Phillip and Nathan. I enjoy my Children and hope to be able to take them on another trip this summer across the USA. Our RV is quickly wearing out. I found out the other day that my PA teaching certificate has not been automatically renewed as usual. I need about 6 credits of continuing education to bring my certificate up to date. It looks like I'll need to go back to school. I've wanted to persue my masters so it looks like I'll have a start on it anyway. I am still able to substitute with my license. I do have some credits from when I worked for Cornwall-Lebanon School District and also when I taught 1st and 2nd Grades at Grandview. I guess I need to go back and have them document the hours elegible for credit and see where I'm at from there. Have a Happy New Year