The Brooklyn Tabernacle!

Our church is currently re-reading through Jim Cymbala's book Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire.  It is the story of how the Holy Spirit moved mightily through prayer in the congregation of the Brooklyn Tabernacle.  So I thought about how cool it would be to visit! I knew I wouldn't be able to go on a Sunday....but even more special would be to attend their Tuesday prayer meeting!!!!

Well. It didn't quite go as planned....Elijah fell asleep in the stroller on the walk to the subway station.  I had to wake him to put him in the ergo, and then carrier my bag and the stroller down to the platform. Elijah was so mad, he cried the whole way to Brooklyn.  

We made it to the Brooklyn Tabernacle

And discovered that instead of their usual prayer meeting, they were having a play. I was a little bummed, only because Elijah was already so upset, I didn't think I had much chance of him sitting through a play.

The lady at the front was so kind. She started asking questions, and had me fill out a prayer card. She walked Elijah and I (and our prayer card) down to the secret prayer "bed" (I think that is what she called it???  Boy oh boy! Did I walk in on a prayer meeting!!!! The group of men and women surround Elijah and I. They anointed Elijah with oil and went to town praying. I'm pretty sure we got spit on a little bit, but whew! It was amazing!!!!!!  And then they walked us back through the actual sanctuary area and took a picture of us on the stage!

We sat down for a little while, but with an hour and a half before the play even started....I was pretty sure we wouldn't make it.

So, we loaded up and began the trek back. I'm not feeling that great tonight but it sure was an amazing experience and I will go to bed thankful!!!! :-)

Great News!!!!!

Elijah's exam went SO well! NO new tumors, NO regrowth of old tumors, AND his blood work has returned to normal (after the doctor told me he had never seen levels as high as Elijah had.)

We are so thankful! Rejoicing in this news for today!!!!!

Back in 5 or 6 weeks! 

Long day of travel

Yesterday was a long day of travel! We left our house just before 2am, boarded the plane by 4:45am, landed at Newark around 2pm, took the Airtrain and just missed the New Jersey Transit train, so we had to wait almost an hour for the next one. We took the New Jersey transit train to Penn Station in New York, then (I met a lovely couple who helped with the luggage and the stairs and the Subway) took the Subway to the Upper West Side.  Then I got on the cross town bus, which let me out just a few blocks from the RMH.

    Elijah and I were exhausted! We crashed at 8:30pm....and after a pretty decent night's rest, felt much better today!  Thank you to everyone who was praying.  Today, we adventured over to the Children's Musuem of Manhattan, where Elijah had a blast!!

We headed back to our side of town and are planning to keep it simple for the evening since we have to be at the hospital at 6:30am tomorrow.

I'm so thankful for the prayers and for a good night's rest! It sure does make a difference.

Caleb Paul, age 12

Dear Caleb Paul,

     There are so many stories these days of young men who go off on an adventure, and discover that they have amazing giftings or powers inside them.  It is the super heroes who look around them and see that things are not always as they should be....and they rise up to meet the challenge of pushing back the darkness and fighting for the light.

    But in order for a hero to rise up and find the strength to face darkness....he has to somehow be made aware of the darkness.

     This year brought some really difficult moments. Well--you know that because you were the child who had both mom and dad gone on your birthday last year. So many other kids would have allowed bitterness to grow in their hearts.  It has been difficult, having your mom (who formerly never went anywhere!), now flying across the country every 4-6 weeks, gone for a few days.  Some would have allowed this to make them angry because they didn't understand why their baby brother had to get cancer.  And then, there was the dear man in our neighborhood who had a crazy-brilliant mind like yours. You two had lots of fun together, and dad was so surprised by the spot welder you made together (with help from your brother Noah).  So, it could have been so discouraging to have finally found someone who understood you so well.....and then to have him pass from this life into the next one.

     Yes, this year has brought its share of difficulty.  But what has been so amazing for this momma-heart to watch....is that instead of bitterness, anger, and discouragement....you have allowed the grace of God to rise up within you.  This year, more than ever, you have discovered the power within you--the Holy Spirit of God which brings comfort when you're sad, when you're lonely, and when things didn't go how you wanted them to go.  You're finding the grace of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross to be sufficient to cover your mistakes, and the mistakes of others.

     When I asked you what this last year had taught you, you told me that you learned to trust God more.  You said that with everything that happened with Elijah, with his cancer and treatments and going across the country, you learned about how God can bring good out of the most difficult circumstances.  You learned to trust God, even when someone you loved greatly left this life, because the life he gained eternally in the presence of Jesus had become more real to you this year.

      Caleb Paul. I have not met a young man so faithful, disciplined, and diligent as you.  You are amazingly gifted, and if you are not naturally talented at what you put your hands to, you will persevere and endure and practice over and over again until you master it.  I am constantly humbled and amazed by your super hero power.....and I recognize it as the power of God at work in you.  You have a super hero power inside you. It is a gift, given by God for the joy of the world and the building of His Kingdom.

     And while many times, my heart ached over the hardships this last year brought, I am so, so thankful for the Light we have seen more clearly. I am honored to serve a Great King beside you. I love being your mom. May you continue to rise up along with the grace of God, to find strength to meet whatever is ahead for you, and may you never stop learning to trust God more.  No gift I could give you is as great as the one the Father in heaven has given you-the sacrifice of His Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to be your Comforter and Teacher.  May you experience these gifts to greater degrees as you rise up to push back the darkness. May you know the great love the Father has for you.  You are not a warrior who fights only out of duty, but a warrior who is greatly loved and valued.  May you grow deeper in your love for God's Word-may it come alive to you as you read it, and may you be transformed by it as you understand its wisdom and beauty. May you grow in your communication with the Lord, and may you begin to truly see how much of the battle is won by getting on your knees.  And when you rise, and when you fall, may you always, always find the grace of God to meet you in that place, and carry you on to greater things.  

     I cannot fathom the wonderful adventures that await you. I love you.  Happy birthday. I pray that God's blessings would overwhelm you with love and joy today. And I'm so glad Daddy and I get to be with you on your birthday this year. :)

With love,

Mommy

     

On Father's Day....

I have a wonderful Father. He is kind-hearted, hard-working, and just a little bit ornery. :). He and my mom traded off working a second job to make ends meet, and they faithfully took us to church every week.

I will be honest though-I don't think I ever knew how hard my parents were working, or how much they sacrificed, or how much energy it takes to be a parent....until I became one.

So, a great deal more of appreciation for my own father, comes in watching my husband as a father to our children. It is in seeing him bear responsibility for providing for our family, that I begin to understand what my father must have felt all those years of working two jobs, or the sorrow he must have felt at times when he didn't have a job, or the constant struggle of trying to provide for us all.

It is in seeing Ben come home from a long day's work, tired from a night with little sleep, that I recall my dad rocking with me in the rocking chair after a bad dream.

It is in our struggle to find time and money to put our own children in lessons or classes that would grow them in their giftings, that I understand the sacrifices that were made for my piano lessons and gymnastics.

And all of this together, makes me think about the wonder and beauty of our Great God. He is a good Father. And in His infinite wisdom, the Father knew that so much of our understanding of His heart toward us would be bound up in our experience.  So the Father didn't just say, "I love you."  But He showed that love to the fullest extent by placing our sin upon the shoulders of Jesus. Jesus suffered in our place-that we might know the comfort of one who has endured the fullest extent of suffering.  The Father endured the pain of watching his beloved Son as he carried the full weight of sin's wrath upon the cross.

There is such a deep sorrow in watching your own child suffer.  Especially when it seems so unfair, and so unjust. To watch needles and poison and wires be poked into your tiny, precious flesh and blood.  But there is an understanding of the cross, of the Father's heart that comes with it, which makes it all so much more real-so much more painful, and yet so much more precious.

In those moments of watching Elijah have blood drawn again, or of keeping everyone on "lockdown" because he doesn't have an immune system....my love for them is never decreased. In fact, it is exponentially increased, because I feel pain for what they must endure, but I know that it is necessary.  The pain that we allow now, we hope is in some way allowing for a better future.

All this to say, this Father's Day, I love and honor my father, and his hard-work, sacrifice, and faithfulness, without which I surely would not be who I am today.

I bless and honor my husband, who is one of the hardest working men I have ever met, known, or seen. His willingness to serve us is beautiful, rare, and costly. He loves to say to me, "How can I rescue you?", and he truly does delight in being my knight in shining armor.  

But for us all on Father's Day, may we look to Christ, and see forever the full and complete love that God the Father has for us.  No matter what your experience of a father has been, no matter what sorrow your heart has known....His love for you is sure. He has declared it in the beauty of creation, in the provision of relationships, in so many blessings day after day that we may or may not notice.

The love of the Father has been forever declared by the cross of Jesus Christ. The Father's heart broke as His Son bled.....but He saw the good that would come from it: the redemption of the hearts and souls of many.  

This Father's Day, I look to the cross and I remind my heart that suffering in this life does not mean that the Father does not love me.  It means that His heart toward me is ever beating with loving kindness, and that not a minute of sorrow or suffering is wasted. Whatever He has allowed is surely producing something wonderful for myself, and others, that I cannot yet see.  And so today, I will look for the gifts: the tiny miracles all around, the clouds in a beautiful blue sky, the voices of so many precious little people, and of course, a father and a husband who faithfully join with the chorus of creation that declares the love of a Good Father.  

Oh! I want to honor and bless my Heavenly Father all my days! But in the end I find, it is always Him- loving me, redeeming me, rescuing me. Father's Day is another chance for me to echo back the worship that all creation is declaring: He is good! And His steadfast love endures forever.

This is a picture of Ben, holding Elijah, and dancing in the airport to ease some of his discomfort. Isn't it just like a good father, to hold us and dance with us even in the midst of our troubles?

This is my dad, at Judah's birthday celebration, holding Evelyn. There are always bear hugs and good stories to be found on grandpa's lap.

And. This picture is just too fun. Ben, you are always full of adventure and you bring so much FUN! to our crazy life.

Big Day!!!!

The picture is blurry because he was moving so fast!!!!

So this guy, at 16 months old, would not even attempt to take a step-even with the walker.  

We headed down to CHLA today where he had a hearing test, and another blood draw. His oncologist came in with such a sigh of relief and said, "His numbers are down!"

They are still high, but are significantly lower than last week. So we will continue watching just to make sure they keep heading in the right direction.

One of our conversations today included him not walking, and the possibility of neuropathy as a side effect from the chemotherapy. 

When we got home, I was chatting with Ben when I heard a commotion!!!! Elijah was barreling through using the walker and making car sounds every step of the way.

So good news on his counts! And it looks like maybe he does want to learn to walk. :-)

When the Cloud Continues....

It's a rainy afternoon here in NYC. Elijah is wiped out so we are having a quiet moment in our room. 

I was reading this in Numbers the other day, and it spoke straight to my heart:

"Now on the day that the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the Testimony; from evening until morning it was above the tabernacle like the appearance of fire....At the command of the Lord the children of Israel would journey, and at the command of the Lord they would camp; as long as the cloud stayed above the tabernacle they remained encamped.

Even when the cloud continued long, many days above the tabernacle, the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord and did not journey."

Numbers 9:15-19

     I don't know what cloud is covering you.  But I do know this....sometimes, there are places and seasons and circumstances in life that leave us longing to journey. To high-tale it on out and MOVE ON.  

     I feel the desire in my heart, as I see pictures of sweet, beautiful family vacations taken by friends.  I think of things that I might like to do or see or experience with our kids.  But for this time and this season, the cloud continues.  I am not to move on...I am to press on.  I am to keep the charge of the Lord and not journey. I am to plant my feet and be faithful with what's in front of me.

     Long story short with Elijah's bloodwork... His numbers have gone up higher than they were.  It could be nothing, or it could be something.  At this point, our course of action is to go back to CHLA next week, retest his blood, and possibly run some more tests or scans.  I'm tired sometimes, of fighting for his care and phone calls and emails and not getting straight answers.  But the cloud continues....and so it is not time for me to journey on to the next thing just yet. It just means that the fullness of this time and this season and this circumstance has not yet been accomplished.

     But the most beautiful thing about this story, this reminder to continue in the charge of the Lord, is that the cloud wasn't the circumstances. The cloud is the presence of the living God. That's how I know I'm not to move yet. His presence is beckoning me to stay here, with Him, and to keep His charge. He is still working in this place, this season, and this circumstance.  And I want His work to be carried on to completion, because He does the best and most beautiful work.

     So, I may not have a whole lot of answers. But I'm staying here while the cloud continues, and I'll look forward to the day when I receive the command to move on.

Elijah's exam

As Elijah is getting older, he gets pushed back a little on the schedule for the day. It was very busy today so he was seen much later than usual. 

The doctor said he looks great! No visible signs of cancer regrowth, and we are to return in 4 or 5 weeks.

Last week, there were some abnormal results in Elijah's blood work. They retested today during his exam but we won't have results until later today. :)

Thank you everyone for praying!

New York at 5am. :-)

Early morning check in....

Well. Let's just say that the delays didn't stop where I left off. :-)

The flight was all over the place due to the weather conditions in New York. But it is 1:30am, and we are checked in, the beds are made, and we are hoping for some sleep. At least one of us is. :) 

I'll be honest. Today was long and hard. Elijah had a difficult time on the plane, and I wasn't able to stand up much due to turbulence. That just means a lot of crying, screaming, and stares from various people surrounding me.

But, let me just practice thankfulness, because there are so many reasons to be thankful.  Here are a few:

1. By God's complete kindness, another family that I know from CA was traveling to NY on the same flight! This is a sweet little boy that our family prays for so often, and so it was so precious to see them and to not feel so *alone*.

2. Ben told me he would pray for an empty seat next to me. Which NEVER happens. But today it did. :)

3.  I had the most amazing companion in my row.  Her name is Lisa, and she has fought her own battle with cancer. Not only was she so gracious and friendly with Elijah despite his *loud protests*, but we had a truly delightful conversation, and I just felt....again, less *alone* in the journey.

4. Since I was flying to a new airport, and was getting in so late (or shall I say early), it worked out perfectly for me to share a ride with my friends who were headed to the same place anyway! 

5.  The amazing Ronald McDonald House in New York.  It feels more and more like family every time.  I had called to let them know I would be checking in super late, and requested that a crib be in the room so I could get Elijah to bed quickly.  Not only was the crib waiting for us, but we were greeted with smiles, familiar faces, and such excitement. 

And as I lay my head down tonight, I am thankful that God never wastes the difficult moments in our lives. He uses them to strengthen us and build character up in us. So we pray that when the morning greets us, that we will find ourselves stronger after having made it through today.  Goodnight!

5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had...

Romans 15:5

Delayed

"He may delay because it would not be safe to give us at once what we ask: we are not ready for it. To give ere we could truly receive, would be to destroy the very heart and hope of prayer, to cease to be our Father. The delay itself may work to bring us nearer to our help, to increase the desire, perfect the prayer, and ripen the receptive condition."- George Macdonald

Early this morning, we all loaded up in the van.  Ben and the kids dropped Elijah and I off at the airport, with plenty of time to get through security and find out.....our flight was delayed. Twice.

Quite honestly, it isn't that big of a deal for us-although I do wish I had a stroller, since it's a long time to have Elijah on my back.  It means a very late arrival into the city, but in the Lord's kindness, I flew out on Sunday instead of Monday this time so that Ben could take me to the airport without affecting his work schedule. So instead of being at the hospital early tomorrow morning, I'll have a day off to recover from travel.

I got to thinking about delays in general...how often they feel like interruptions and intrusions upon our plans.  I love the above quote by George MacDonald. It is a reminder that even delays are a kindness of our Father.  His delays are for our good.  So, Elijah and I are getting to know LAX. He fell asleep and even though I was *hoping* he would sleep on the plane, it was so nice that I got to take a break and sit down for a bit.

Oh Lord, may I wait upon You and hope in Your Word.  May I trust you to give, and to delay as You see fit.

Psalm 130:5-6 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.

Early morning...

We left early this morning to head to CHLA.  Elijah has to have blood work and see his oncologist.  Since I was gone yesterday (saw the neurologist), I took Ezra and Noah today as my *helpers*.

As so much of this becomes familiar-the drive, the pokes, oncology clinic, I am very thankful that my kids have a positive view of it all. I am not usually short on volunteers to accompany me to CHLA. It gives me the opportunity to spend time with individual kids, helps them to be part of Elijah's care (which makes it less scary), and I think it grows their compassion and sympathy. Not to mention, I try to include food.

The poking part isn't fun, but I'm glad we are checking on Elijah to see how he is doing.  We leave Sunday for NYC.

We make our plans.....

But the Lord determines our steps.

This has always been one of our verses as a family.  A large family often means our plans change at the last minute.  

The last few weeks have just been.....full. It just goes to show the nature of our life when almost daily, our 3 year old asks if we have an appointment.

Between the allergist and testing for Caleb, as well as the endodontist and periodontist, the orthodontist for the 3 bigger ones, the dermatologist (2 more skin biopsies this week for me, and one is possibly infected), the neurologist next week for my migraines, and that's not even counting all of Elijah's doctors and appointments!!!

All this to say, I had planned to make a grocery list and go shopping so that we wouldn't have to worry about groceries this weekend.

But instead, I needed to take Judah to the ER.  Even Dermabond couldn't handle this one.  It was deep and gnarly.  The subcutaneous stitches weren't holding how they wanted, so they just did the outside stitches. Judah was a champ, and after a tetanus shot, we set about getting some treats for a quiet afternoon at home.

I'm tired. But today, I'm choosing thankfulness.  Thank you Lord, for really awesome doctors at the ER today. Thank you for the numbing medicine that made stitches on a 5 year old possible. Thank you that the injury wasn't much worse.  Thank you for an amazing daughter who didn't complain a bit about babysitting while I was at the hospital.  Thank you for each and every one of these kids. Thank you for the story of Halfway Herbert, which we read while we waited, which reminded us of how God wants us to love him with our whole heart.  And thank you for some special time with Judah today.  Thank you that even when things don't go according to "plan", You are right there with us.

Braces off!!!

Sweet Noah got his braces off!!! He got a bunch of goodies including microwaveable popcorn. Too bad our microwave is broken.... ;-P 

Loved...

At Judah's co-op class, they were working on a craft to give to their moms on Mother's Day.  His teacher came and told me this funny story.

She asked him what he was going to do for me for Mother's Day.  Judah responds with, "Huh?"  She explains that Mother's Day was coming up on the Sunday following our co-op.

Judah asks, "Is it EVERY Sunday??"

His teacher tells him no, just once a year, and it was this coming Sunday.

He responds, "I don't think my mom knows about that."

As I was cleaning up the counter this morning, I found the card Judah had made for me (but didn't give me because he couldn't find it) :

I love her because: because she loves me.

Oh.  My.  Heart. 

I may feel like, in this crazy season, I am getting a lot of things wrong. My husband is doing more dishes than either of us would like (and that's with the paper plates!!).  I end most of my days, having accomplished less than half of what I planned or desired.

But my five year old understands something so beautiful and profound.  He loves me because I loved him first.  And I love him because God loved me first.

I spent most of Mother's Day in bed with a gnarly headache. I did get some snuggles. :). And my lovely daughter let me borrow her skirt and her boots. :-). This picture of me with all these amazing people that I love SO much, just reminds me of how God is always the Initiator. He loved me first. It is how I know what love is.

"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

1 John 4:10

Don't listen to them, Birthday Girl....

My darling Emma Faith,

     I remember 13 years ago, being so naive and unaware of what this whole "mothering" thing was all about. Oh, I wanted to be a mother so badly. And I was full of so many ideals, but very little practical wisdom on how to be a mom.

     When you came into this world, I was changed forever.  Your tiny, 6lbs and 1 oz. brought a force to be reckoned with as I was almost instantly aware of love that my heart could barely contain, and an awareness that I was not nearly well enough equipped for the task ahead of me.  The selfish entrapping of my heart was slowly ripped away, one feeding, one nighttime screaming session, one bath time, one bedtime story and prayer and song at a time. 

     Fast forward 13 years!!!! How did this happen?  You yourself have heard so many people who when you were 12, would say, "Oh, just you wait until next year!"  You have asked me about this, wondering why everyone seems to equate being a teenager with rebellion.  You were with me when one woman, so insistent upon the trouble that lie ahead for me and the "teen years", that I answered her quiet and steady, "I am not afraid of our future."

     And I'm not!  Emma Faith, don't listen to them.  They don't know you! They haven't watched as compassion and sympathy so deep and beautiful has blossomed in your heart.  

(When you were 10 years old, and so excited to finally get a sister!!!)

     I remember being at the County Fair one year, and as I was pushing around a double stroller, my back started bothering me.  I never said anything, but I must have winced at the pain. You caught a glimpse of my face, and as we moved along, you came and put your arm around my waist. You told me, "I'll push for a while."  You looked at me with such compassion and grace....far beyond your years.

     You are extraordinary.  You are brilliant, relational, beautiful, and your tender heart is such a treasure.  I cannot take credit for any of it.  Oh, I may have planted seeds, and prayed and watered, as was my privilege, but it was God who gave the growth. Every bit of the beautiful woman you are becoming is God's precious grace poured out upon me.

     Oh, I know we will have difficult conversations ahead, as we have behind us.  I know there will be moments when emotions get the better of one or both of us at any given moment.  There will be times when we don't get along as smoothly as we normally do.  But by God's grace, we will always find our way back to communicating lovingly and submitting to one another out of reference for Christ.  And forgiving each other when we don't. :-)

     And so, my dear. Don't listen to the world that tells you that turning 13 is entering into a world of strife and difficulty at every turn.  There will be hard times ahead in this life. There will be moments where you aren't sure which way to go.  There will be times when you want more freedom then we will allow.  But at the end of it all, you are one of my favorite people in this entire world.  I love being with you.  I love your stories, your dancing and singing heart, and I love how God is at work in you. And we both have His promise that what He has begun in you, He will carry it on to completion until the day Jesus returns.

     So, keep on being you. My prayer is that you would know how deeply your Father in heaven loves you, and how much your family loves you.  I pray that you would never doubt that I am your biggest fan--even when we don't see things exactly the same.  I pray that you would continue to dance and sing and live a life of worship before the Lord. I pray that you would continue to see the world with such compassion and sympathy.  I pray blessing upon overflowing blessing upon you because that is what you are to us.

     Happy 13th birthday, my beautiful teenager.

All my love,

Mom

(In Central Park)

Home Sweet Home

Well. I was able to switch my flight after all! So I flew home Wednesday, and hit the ground running. Ben was back at work, there was grocery shopping to be done, and life just keeps going. By God's grace, even with the fastest turn around I've ever done....I am doing okay! I was able to get some stuff done. Everyone who is praying and thinking of us: THANK YOU. There is NO way I should even be functioning right now. And yet, it has really, truly been wonderful. I'm so thankful for the good news of this last trip, I'm looking forward to five weeks with the kids before I return, and I'm doing my best to soak up every second with them. 

Now. After a wonderful day, I'm ready to close my eyes, and admit that I am a mere human in need of rest, in the hands of the God who does not sleep or slumber.

A Giant Leap for today....

Elijah did great last night! He went to bed around 10pm, got up at 1:45am to nurse, and then slept until about 4:45am. We decided to go ahead and get up and start walking. :-)

We walked the streets of NY until we could head to the hospital.  

Elijah had been waking up at night, screaming and thrashing. He was pretty inconsolable.  I finally mentioned it to his nurse, so she had me meet with the anesthesiologist before Elijah's exam. We agreed to try a new "cocktail" and see if it helps him.

The last visit, they had told us to plan on doing two rounds of Intra-arterial chemotherapy.  When the doc came in he said that his tumor from last time was gone!!!! (Now, that means they can't measure it....there could still be live cells, but only time will tell.). Because of the great response, they gave us the option of doing another round of IAC, or doing nothing.  The doctor did explain that we've done this before-one round of IAC, then ended up having to laser most months until finally coming back to IAC.  He said that we don't usually get away with just one round....which is what we have done this time.  But when I asked him what he would do, he said, "I'd probably do nothing."

So with joy, Ben and I have decided on no treatment this time.  We will wait and see, knowing that there is a good chance there could be regrowth in the future.  And, if we get to this point again, we will be committing to at least two rounds of IAC.  But I just felt strongly that his little system could use a break, and since the tumor *seems* to have died, then I feel comfortable waiting and seeing what happens.  

We come back in 6 weeks!!!! I'm freaking out! This is awesome!

AND! He woke up from anesthesia so much better this time!!!  We will see if it helps with the night terrors, but I am so thankful!!!!! :-)

We made it!!!!

I'll admit, I was a little nervous about a nonstop flight, because....what if that meant nonstop crying for 5 and a half hours????

And, it had some moments.  :-). But overall I consider it a fantastic success and I LOVED the nonstop flight. We even landed almost an hour early. So it was very similar to one leg of our normal flight, only I didn't have to do the whole thing all over again!

A longer drive into Manhattan from Newark--but Elijah seems to do better in the car than the plane. And what a treat to get to the RMH before 3pm!!!!

Thank you everyone, for praying!!! We are so thankful and so hungry! Time for a "snack." :-)

Waiting to board....

Here is Mr. Grumpy, enjoying some yummy bran muffin while we wait to board our flight.

This is our first time flying a direct flight into Newark. 

Although he looks pretty happy in the picture, he's already been quite the handful and we haven't even boarded the plane.  Thank you to everyone who is praying for us!!!!! 

Psalm 8

https://soundcloud.com/user-450515923/psalm-8-at-ccsb-the-well

This is the audio from when I recently taught on Psalm 8. It requires a free account with soundcloud, but was the best way to upload such a *large* file.