simple

Thanks Amy for something simple to blog about. This week has been emotional and hard to understand.

Rules: type only one word and if you are reading this, consider yourself "tagged"...

1. Where is your cell phone?car
2. Your significant other? Doug
3. Your hair? short
4. Your mother? nurse
5. Your father? papa
6. Your favorite thing? books
7. Your dream last night? comfort
8. Your favorite drink? Pepsi
9. Your dream/goal? health
10. The room you're in? office
11. Your fear? losing
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? better
13. Where were you last night? Wichita
14. What you're not? wealthy
15. Muffins? blueberry
16. One of your wish list items? aquarium
17. Where you grew up? Wichita
18. The last thing you did? blogged
19. What are you wearing? pajamas
20. Your TV? off
21. Your computer? Dell
22.Your life? busy
23. Your mood? hopeful
24. Missing someone? yes
25. Your car? silver
26. Something you're not wearing? shoes
27. Favorite Store? none
28. Your summer? relaxed! (i hope)
29. Your favorite color? purple
30. When is the last time you laughed? yesterday
31. Last time you cried? Thursday

continue to pray for Cora

I ask for renewed and continued prayers for precious Cora. She is fighting hard, but is facing many challenges and her parents and extended family are on the roller coaster of highs and lows as they too learn about how to care for a child who is ill. Each day brings a new and different challenge as they work to make Cora comfortable and give her the strength and energy she needs to continue this fight with cancer.

Jessica and Joel's faith is profound and amazing to witness. They trust the Lord so completely and are fully leaning on him to heal Cora and give them strength, guidance, and comfort. They are certainly role models in how to live one's faith and convictions, even in the most difficult of circumstances. I'm awed!

I've added the pray for Cora button the right tool bar to remind everyone who reads to pray for Cora's healing and comfort and strength, courage, and peace for Jess and Joel. Clicking on Cora's button takes you to Jess and Joel's blog where they have been giving updates about Cora and sharing praises and prayer requests so that we can be praying for the specific things they need and praising God for the blessing he's providing them.

Thank you to Jan at Rose Haven for making Cora's button and sharing it so many more prayers for Cora, Jess, and Joel can be lifted up.

prayers for Cora

I ask everyone who reads this to say a prayer for this sweet blessing, Cora. Cora is the 10-month old daughter of Jessica and Joel. Jessica used to teach kindergarten at Slate Creek where I work. Jessica and Joel attend Grace church, where we also go. Cora was diagnosed with cancer today and underwent exploratory surgery to try to find out exactly what's happening in her tiny body. Please pray that Cora is healed quickly and that her parents and extended family maintain the strength they need to endure this crisis. This young family and sweet baby girl need all the prayers they can get. I know lots of you know this family and are already praying for Cora, Jessica, and Joel, but those of you who don't know this great family, I beg you to lift them up to God and ask for His belssings upon them.

sick, 31, Lecompton

sick: That's what Caden is. Doug's mom had to pick Caden up from preschool Thursday afternoon because he was running 102 fever with a cough. No preschool Friday, which was extra sad because it was his scheduled poop party day at school. Caden has been coughing so much he's thrown up several times. Poor baby! He's a little better today. The fever is down, but the gagging cough remains.

31: as of Thursday that's what Doug is. Happy Birthday, babe! We spent the evening eating cold pizza and watching TV in the basement after we put our sick boy to bed. Not the greatest birthday, but SO much better than last year's. Doug's 30th birthday was spent in the hospital finding out his mom had lung cancer.

Lecompton/Lawrence: As of Thursday evening that's where I back from. I was there for the KS Coaching Academy. I'm tired because I didn't sleep well Tuesday or Wednesday night at the hotel or Thursday night because of listening for Caden to cough so hard he got sick again.

So that's what we've been doing since Thursday. Hopefully next week will be a lot better! We have Tegan's birthday and party and of course Caden's poop party at school (more on that later, I know you're curios!) to look forward to.

sweet

As Caden I were snuggling and chatting in bed this morning like we usually do on Saturdays mornings, I was asking him about school. Questions like, "Do you like school?"; "Who is your favorite teacher? (He has 3.)"; and this wonderful exchange:

Mommy: "Who is your best friend at school?"

Caden: "Baby Jensen"
Mommy: "Jensen doesn't go to school with you."

Caden: "I know, but I love him!" "I love Baby Jensen and Tegan and you, Mommy!"

How sweet is he? And, how sweet and cute is this adorable bundle below?

reading edited

I've been reading quite a bit lately.

I started this reading binge with The Shack. This is easily one of the best books I've ever read and would highly recommend it to anyone. It's a thought-provoking story and it might challenge your beliefs and ideas, and possibly your faith. I can not say enough about this book and its power. Eloquently written and now an all time favorite of mine.

I also read a new Nicholas Sparks' book, Change of Heart. CORRECTION: I wrote the wrong title here. Nicholas Sparks' new book is actually The Lucky One. Change of Heart is another book I got for Christmas by another one of my favorite authors, Jodi Picoult. Thanks Amy for catching my error so I could correct it. Another great novel by Mr. Sparks. I think this might be my favorite of the ones of his I've read, though I've thoroughly enjoyed them all. Thanks Tim and Melissa! It was a a wonderful Christmas present!! :)

I just finished The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King. I've always shied away from Stephen King novels because I don't like scary and gory, but this one was totally different. Very suspenseful, but not scary or gory at all. I've also been informed that Stephen King has written several novels which are not of the scare/gore genre. My friend Christie is a Stephen King addict and loaned me 3 of his non-scary novels. I'm getting ready to start Delores Claiborne tonight. Hopefully, it will be just as good. Thanks, Christie for turning me on to a new author!

Happy reading!

family

Over Christmas break, we traveled to Savannah, MO to visit my grandma and some of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. My grandma is AMAZING! She has 6 children and 6 in-law children, 11 grandchildren, 1 in-law grandchild, 1 in-law grandchild to be in June, and 1 great-grandchild. She'll be 79 in February and she's helping my mom's youngest sister and her husband raise their 3 children, ages 11, 7, and 5. I think she and my mom could easily pass for sisters (for a comparison, check out their pictures below). My grandma has very little gray hair and is very active and probably in better health than some of her children and their spouses. Caden was really impressed by the new knowledge that he has 3 grandmas. He kept talking about Grandma J all the way up there and all the way home and several times since we've been back. I think she made quite an impression. And sometime will have to confuse him more and explain that in all truth he has 4 grandmas, Doug's mom's mom is still alive, too.

my mom

Grandma J

4 generations
Emma and Caden

pure orneriness

A note about the picture of Emma and Caden: Emma is Grandma J's youngest grandchild. She's 5 and looks exactly like her my mom, my aunt Elaine. Caden is Grandma J's oldest great-grandchild. He's 4 and at least 2 inches taller than Emma already. They got along fabulously. For once, Emma was the bigger . . .er, I mean, older kid.