Saturday, April 2, 2016

April 2016...A year later

Time has gone by quickly! A year ago we were in Cleveland trying to unpack and get settled in the hotel and be there for an indefinite time. A lot of questions were in my mind with no answers.  How long will we be here? How does the transplant process work? How are we going to pay for a hotel and a house back home? And on and on...   But God is faithful and supplies our every need.  There's a peace that He gives to His children. I didn't have all the answers to my questions, but knew God was with me each day. So glad to be back home in Princeton, but am thankful for the many blessings He gave to us along the journey.  We have drawn closer to God through this, learned to have more patience, increased faith and hope and to trust Him more.  We have become a stronger family.  

Since my last post I've been to Cleveland for 2 appointments and have had labs, scopes, and biopsies.  Things are going well.  They have found some polyps in the esophagus, stomach, and intestine on the 2 times I've been scoped but thankfully they are benign.  They biopsy them first and  if they need to be removed then they will.   This last appointment I had, they decided that since things are going so well, we would move my appointment to every 2 months.  I will do my scope and biopsy locally.  My local GI Doctor will send the biopsy to my transplant doctors.  Then I have another month before having to go back for my usual there.  We've  come a long way with getting the appointments moved. After being discharged from having the transplant I've gone from appointments twice a week, once a week, every other week, once a month, and now...every 2 months. How exciting! When we left in September, we were going there every 2 weeks.  So thankful we still aren't having to make the trips that frequently.

I've had the chance to meet some new transplant patients at my appointments and catch up with some I've known. My heart aches for some very sweet people that are still struggling with issues after their transplant.   Keeping them all in prayer along with their families. We all have our own story and each is so different, but we are all fighters. 

Catching up on the kids...Kailey has finished early on 6th grade and starting on 7th grade.  I'm going to have her take a break from it in the summer time though.  Matthew is trying to get caught up in English and Math so he's not in doing any school in June or July. He has completely finished Science and History for the year. Kelsey is working ahead and trying to finish hers a little early.  She keeps telling the other 2 that her studies are a lot harder than theirs.  We have taken some recesses by walking. They have enjoyed it and so have I. One day one of them had a hard time staying up with me and we got to laughing. One evening it was so beautiful that we walked as a family up to Main Street up to the CourtHouse to Pizza Cellar and back home. That was a first in over 6 years.  We've been taking advantage of the nice weather and going to the park also. 

Kelsey made her first Apple pie, crust and all.  It started off as something for both girls, but Kailey lost interest as we began peeling apples.  She went to trying to make apple juice with the cores and peeling.  She quickly realized that wasn't doing anything but make her a sticky mess and quit.  Kelsey did a good job on the pie!! I'll have to keep working with Kailey on it๐Ÿ˜‰.  Although she does enjoy baking and cooking.  They both are big helpers in the kitchen. It's just hard for me to let my kitchen go to them, but I need to let them start. 

I celebrated another first....Easter dinner.  It was delicious! Spiral ham, mashed taters, green beans, deviled eggs, rolls, ambrosia salad, and coconut cream and chocolate pies.  Yummy!  More than that,I am so grateful for the blood Jesus shed at Calvary. That His blood covers all my sins and washes me white as snow.  He has risen and alive forever more!! So thankful for His love for me.  There's no greater love than His! 

Kelsey celebrated her 15th birthday!! I'm proud of the young lady she's become. She's a hard worker, has a big heart, and loves God with all her heart.  My prayer is God uses her at a young age as His vessel. My, does time fly! Seems like yesterday we were walking into the hospital to Labor and Delivery and were so excited to hear we weren't leaving till we had a baby in our arms.  We didn't know if she was a boy or girl till I had her.  What a blessing she is!  

Thank you for taking time to read my blog.   Also for all your prayers, love, and support you show to us!

Valentine Banquet 


Kelsey's first apple pie.  She cut out an A & apple for the middle.
A walk at the park.
Easter pictures