Lutheran Camp on Petit Jean Mountain

This weekend Mark and I were invited to an interview for the camp director at the Lutheran Camp on Petit Jean in Arkansas.  These were some pictures we took as we were exploring.  They are extending Mark a call to serve there and we are in the process of praying about it.  There are exciting opportunities for us both here and there, and we are so thankful that God has brought us to a place where the decisions we are making are for serving Him once again and that we are healthy and able to work.  What a blessing that is!  We will make a decision by July 15th.  Thanks for your prayers!

Hilarious!

This was a little hat that my grandma made for my cabbage patch dolls when I was little.  Micaiah found it with the doll clothes and decided it was perfect for her!  She was so cute parading around in it - it kept popping off and then she would put it right back on.

This week has been VBS here.  I am doing music with the kids which has been a lot of fun! 

Pierced Ears?

Nope!  Just clip-ons.  The girls have been saving their piggy bank money to get their ears pierced.  Today we had a garage sale (which went great!) and they got to keep some of the change for helping out which put them both with enough.  We decided to celebrate the sale and the earnings by going out to dinner and letting the girls get their ears pierced at Claires.  Well, needless to say that didn't happen.  I wanted the girls to watch someone else get it done so they really knew what they were getting into.  Rachel immediately changed her mind.  Gabie however still wanted to.  But she has very sensitive skin and the earrings were over $60 that she needed.  So we scratched that idea and got a couple of clip-on earrings instead. 

Picture Day

We had a lot of fun this morning at the park.  I've been a bit behind on getting the girls pictures done (Eliya 8, Gabie 6, Rachel 5, Micaiah 2 + a group shot) and a friend/parents from school does pictures.  She generally does more wedding photography but agreed to do the girls for us.  This morning we met at the park to get some pics!  She has 2 boys - one in Rachel's class and one in Gabie's so it was a perfect play-date as well!

 At the end we found a rather large turtle to follow around for a bit, what a fun time they had!

Nap

Micaiah fell asleep on the green chair last night.  When I got up this morning she was sleeping sitting up with a smile on her face - too cute!

Running Group

After the kids do their warm-ups lap runs and timed runs they play games!

More Summer Fun

I've also been making the girls do "summer school" this summer with the summer bridge program and educational games.  They will also all be sad to tell you that other then an occasional movie night that our TV is off for the summer.  So games, puzzles and books have been our activities and we love it! (Okay, I love it and they enjoy it once they get past the whole 'I can't watch tv part'.) :)

Summer Days!

We've been trying to go to the park each morning for some fun play.  Eliya has been reading the Laura Ingles Wilder books and tells her sisters all about them so they were playing frontier life.  Eliya always says "I'm Mary and she likes to read." and then proceeds to sit and read most of the time (I don't know how she does it while swinging - I would get motion sick!). 

Happy Father's Day

Adorable picture of daddy and ciah snuggling in the afternoon.

Fishy!

Micaiah loves her fishy! (thanks godmommy Kathi!) :)

Perfect Birthday

I couldn't have asked for a better birthday.  I went with mom and Stephanie for a pedicure.  Then we went to Alpha Omega where I was offered a teaching job to teach 4th grade there for this next school year (and the girls secured a spot there).  Then we all went to see Madagascar 3 (super cute movie) and then out to dinner as a family to Chili's - yum!  We then just enjoyed a relaxing evening playing games and realized that someone was walking across Niagra Falls on a tight-rope.  Since Stephanie and Travis used to live right there (and we've been there a few times) it was pretty cool to see.  I couldn't have asked for a better day!

Nap Time!

The first few days of being home after school let out I was struggling to get Micaiah to take her nap.  Then as I was putting their nap mats up for the summer she got all excited one day.  Ever since I've just laid out her nap mat and she goes right down for her nap!  Yay!  Today was a pretty adorabe picture of her snoozing.

Running Group!

On Tuesday mornings we go to a kid's running group that meets at the walking trail here in Elkins Lake.  We love it!  I didn't even know the trail was there before - it is nicely paved 1/4 mile trail that the girls are practicing for the run for God on (they will do the 1 mile run).  And they play running games with other kids there.  Micaiah just chills out, but enjoys watching all the kids run around

The Hurt and the Healer

I have written this post probably a hundred times in my head over the past couple weeks. Different thoughts, different aspects, different things I remember, different things I wish I could forget....as usual there is a song that truly speaks to what my heart wants to say, this time by Mercyme,
THE HURT & THE HEALER
Artist: MERCYME.

Why?
The question that is never far away
But healing doesn’t come from the explained
Jesus, please don’t let this go in vain
You’re all I have; all that remains

So, here I am
What’s left of me
When glory meets my suffering

I’m alive
Even though a part of me has died
Take my heart and breathe it back to life
I fall into your arms open wide
When the hurt and the healer collide

Breathe
Sometimes I feel it’s all that I can do
Pain so deep that I can hardly move
Just keep my eyes completely fixed on You
Lord, take hold and pull me through

It’s the moment when humanity
Is overcome by majesty
When grace is ushered in for good
And all our scars are understood
When mercy takes its rightful place
And all these questions fade away
When out of weakness we must bow
And hear you say, “It’s over now”

Jesus, come and break my fear
Wake my heart and take my tears
Find your glory even here

When the hurt and the healer collide


Ironically, I don't know that I found myself asking "why?" a lot last year. I'm sure I did, but I don't remember having that thought or notion really. I remember being angry, confused and hurt. I even remember times that I was completely convinced that God was angry with us. I even remember thinking that God must hate us. I knew that wasn't true in my heart (I think), but convincing my head to stop having that thought wasn't always easy. I don't share these thoughts because I want to disappoint anyone, but I think part of our testimony is being real - and that is real.

Today was in some ways exactly what I expected - the hurt and the healer (and healing) colliding. We are so amazingly blessed with the healing that has taken place in our lives. Mark had his doctor appointments today and everything looks great! Praise the Lord! There is plenty of room for the csf (cerebral spinal fluid) to flow in the back of the head now. There is no "brain slumping" anymore and the leaks seem to be gone. The tumor is still there, but it hasn't changed or grown so it's just a "continue to watch" thing. His next doctor appointments/mri will be in 9 monhts. If things continue to look good then we will go to yearly appointments.

So, with such wonderful praiseworthy news why the pain? Well, these doctor visits took us back on the journey - the journey that we lived through. The surgeries, the pain, suffering, the reminders of Samantha. The reminders of how little Mark remembers of last year, conversations, events, smiles, tears, Samantha's life - his memory of those things are gone. During Mark's MRI I walked over to the building where she had been in the hospital (it's right next to where we were and also by the cafeteria) and felt like I experienced what the song says "pain so deep that I can hardly move". I tried to go eat something and found that I couldn't. Everywhere I went was where I had previously had to "drive" in my wheelchair. I was amazed at how much easier it was to get around without the wheels. I sat down on a bench and just cried out to God - "WHY? What was the point of all that? Here we are on the other side......why?" I then heard this song in my head "It’s the moment when humanity is overcome by majesty, when grace is ushered in for good and all our scars are understood, when mercy takes its rightful place and all these questions fade away.....Jesus, come and break my fear wake my heart and take my tears, find your glory even here when the hurt and the healer collide."

I don't know the answer to why. I don't think I will know here on earth. I don't know that I want to. I think that part of trusting God is knowing that nothing will touch our lives that hasn't gone through His hands. If He chose us to experience these things, then I believe He had good reason to allow them. No, I don't believe that He caused them to happen, but I do think He allowed them. He has His reasons, and I choose to believe Him. I believe that He loves us. I believe that He has chosen us to be His children. I believe in Him. I believe Him.

We are so overwhelmed with God's goodness and healing to us. Mark's great report, my ability to walk (and now run again!). God is so good. He is our healer. Sometimes the hurt and the healer collide, the promise is that even when the hurt fades away, the Healer is still there holding us and guiding us back to life.

Summer Fun!

 Gabie's rolly-polly collection.

 Sidewalk chalk!

 Checking out the deer in the backyard.

10 Little Monkeys (aka Micaiah's favorite song)