HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

ONE YEAR LATER...

How time fly's. One year ago Eliza came home from gymnastics with a sore foot. She wouldn't jump on the trampoline or walk on the balance beam. I told her to go jump in the bath and that I would be in to help get her clean and look at her foot in a moment. I went into the bathroom and sat down on the edge of the bathtub to help her get cleaned. She stood up and that's when I noticed she was covered in bruises. My first thought was "who abused my baby girl?" Trying to keep my emotions intact, I asked Eliza if someone had hurt her. I got up to go call Matthew and noticed that not only did she have bruises everywhere (legs, hips, arms, stomach) she also had these little red dots all over the place (chest, neck, arms, legs) I knew exactly what they were petechiae.

I stood there frozen. All I could think of was Mason. Beautiful Mason was diagnosed a few years ago with Aplastic Anemia a blood disorder that affects the white and red blood cells and the platelets. Could this disease really be happening to us too?

Over the next two weeks we met with our pediatrician who then sent us to the hematologist/oncologist for tests. Eliza was a trooper. She endured MANY blood tests. Finally, we were told that she had Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). This blood disorder is where the white blood cells in the persons body believe the platelets are a virus and fight them off. So although the individual is producing normal platelets they are being killed off by the white blood cells. When we took Eliza in to the hematologist he said that he had never seen a platelet count as low as Eliza's. She only had 950 platelets left in her body. A normal body has between 200,000 and 4oo,ooo platelets.

Usually no treatment is necessary unless an individual starts bleeding and cant stop it. This disease usually resolves itself within 6 months. We were hopeful that we could avoid treatment. Eliza was given lots of rules. She was told that she couldn't ride her bike, jump on the trampoline, do gymnastics, even jump on the couch (which is already a no no!) But any fall or bump would cause her to bleed and she didn't have enough platelets to stop bleeding on her own. a bump on the head could be fatal. A injury to her spleen or internal organs could too also be fatal.

For the next week we treated her as though there was bubble wrap around her. But even through all of our careful measures, her own body could not fight off this disease itself. During the middle of the night in early December she woke up with a bloody nose. Kept pressure on it, we kept ice on it. She bleed from 4 a.m. until we got her admitted to the hospital around 1 p.m. that day. Eliza was amazing. She was such a trooper. She had received a blessing from our home teacher and her dad and it gave her the strength to endure this difficult experience.

A now........................................a whole year later my baby girl is in remission (7 months now). And enjoying everything a little girl loves to do. My house was blissfully peaceful for those few months Eliza was sick, because there was no fighting for risk of injury...but I'll gladly take a few fights here and there to have my baby girl be able to ride a bike, toss a ball and maybe even a little naughty jump on the couch.

TENDER MERCIES

This week we our family experienced some of the Lord's tender mercies. I wanted to share a few of them with you. With all the turmoil that is going on around us, it is a constant reminder that the Lord loves each of us individually and is always looking out for us.

• Matthew's cousin Ray was baptized. The baptism was beautiful. A nice reminder of why we are here on earth.
• Matthew's Uncle Jim performed the baptismal service. A beautiful reminder of selfless sacrifice.
• Matthew's cousin Merrie had a baby. Sweet reminder of how beautiful life really is.
• Our nephew Nate's life was spared. Gentle reminder of how precious the time is that we have here on earth.

A word about each of these tender mercies the Lord has allowed us to experience this week. Matthew cousin Ray is suffering from terminal lung cancer. With all the things he is experiencing right now, he was able to make a commitment with Christ to follow his example by entering the waters of baptism.

Matthew's Uncle Jim who is awaiting a lung transplant and confined to a wheelchair and on oxygen was able to enter the baptismal waters and preform Ray's baptismal service. A selfless sacrifice and example to each of us who were present.

After having three children and adopting another - a beautiful girl - from Kazakhstan, Merrie and Heath were able to bring a baby girl into their great family. After having three myself, I truly see the ability to bring children into this world a tender mercy from God.

And, last but probably the greatest tender mercy this week our little Nate had his life spared. Instead of celebrating Jane's 5th birthday this week, we could have been mourning the loss of our nephew Nate. Early in the week, Nate was out riding his bicycle around the neighborhood. A driver pulling out of his driveway did not see Nate crossing his driveway. The neighbor drove his truck right over Nate. After being rushed by ambulance to the hospital and many test run and much to the amazement of the ER doctors, Nate went home with a few bruises (in the shape of a tire) and a nasty hole in his ankle. As for the bike, we can't say the same - it didn't fair so well.

ANYTHING BUT PLAIN....JANE

Matthew found this song by Jewel a while ago and he came home said I have found the perfect song for our Jane and played it for me. He was right - this is our Jane. She is sweet, caring, compassionate full of love and charity and with all those beautiful things comes a little "sensitivity." Please be careful with her. She's our Jane and we'd like her to stay that way! Happy number 5 Jane! We love you - Mom and Dad




I was thinking that I might fly today
Just to disprove all the things that you say
It doesn't take a talent to be mean
You words can crush things that are unseen
So please be careful with me, I'm sensitive - And I'd like to stay that way

You always tell me that it's impossible
To be respected, and be a girl
Why's it gotta be so complicated
Why you gotta tell me if I'm hated
So please be careful with me, I'm sensitive - And I'd like to stay that way

When I was thinking, that it might do some good
If we robbed the cynics and took all their food
That way what they believe will have taken place
And we can give it everybody who have some faith
So please be careful with me, I'm sensitive - And I'd like to stay that way

I have this theory, that if we're told we're bad
Then that's the only idea we'll ever have
But maybe if we are surrounded in beauty
Someday we will become what we see'
Cause anyone can start a conflict it's harder yet to disregard it
I'd rather see the world from another angle
We are everyday angels
Be careful with me 'cause I'd like to stay that way

GREEN BUCKETS

Matt here. I don’t think I’m too likely to become much of a blogger, so Jenny Penny will have to stay on top of updating this thing. BUT since I am of course very interested to read her posts and find out what matters of import are occurring in my life, I’ve asked permission to add some rad tunes to her playlist. So this is a little disclaimer for Penny’s sake, the tunes after ‘Mais do Mesmo’ can’t be blamed on her. If you’re enjoying a Rage Against the Machine track while you read about Lucy’s latest exploits, don’t worry - Penny is as sweet as she ever was, I just needed to listen to something a little more potent than LeAnn Rimes.

The first song I have to add is ‘Green Buckets’. It’s a tribute to the college days, a little rock-roll-fun-love song with some personal meaning:

“I would like to love you,
I sure would treat you right.
We could take the trash out
every Thursday night.”

In the old days back at the Y, when we wanted a little moment away from the crowd in the student apartments we would “take the trash out”. We tended to keep walking after taking the trash out. We tended to end up on the roof of Ream’s Grocery Store looking at the stars and talking about the future.

Of course we weren’t the only ones with a tendency to “take the trash out”. Some of our best friends, who will probably be reading Penny’s blog, were known to “take the trash out”, “need to study” or “go make some cookies”.

THE CASE OF THE MISSING TOOTHBRUSH

It is like something from a VeggieTales movie or something. Only I think it was a Hairbrush and Minnesota Cuke was on the search for it. Where is Minnesota Cuke when I need him? How does a toothbrush go missing? I mean its a toothbrush...it doesn't move locations. It has resided next to the bathroom sink every day for the last 34.5 years of my life. Not that i've used the same toothbrush for 34.5 years (can you even imagine?) but some version of a ToothBrush 1.0; ToothBrush 1.7; ToothBrush 93.1 or ElectricToothBrush 3.5 (that is a total guess, I have never actually counted the number of toothbrushes I have owned) has resided next to my bathroom sink for the last 34.5 years. Well, here’s our version…

Narrator: "Now it's time for silly songs with PrettyPenny. The part of the show where PrettyPenny comes out and sings a silly song.Our curtain opens as PrettyPenny, having just finished her morning bath, is searching for her Toothbrush. Having no success, PrettyPenny cries out..."
PrettyPenny: "Oh, where is my Toothbrush? Oh where is my Toothbrush? Oh, where, oh, where, oh, where, oh, where, oh, where, oh, where, oh, where, oh, where oh, where ... is my Toothbrush?"
Narrator: "Having heard her cry, Eliza enters the scene. Shocked and slightly embarrassed at the sight of PrettyPenny in a towel, Eliza regains her composure and reports ..."
Eliza: "I think I saw a Toothbrush back there!"
PrettyPenny: "Back there is my Toothbrush. Back there is my Toothbrush. Back there, back there, oh, where, back there, oh, where, oh, where, back there, back there, back there ... is my toothbrush?"
Narrator: "Having heard her joyous proclamation, Jane enters the scene. Shocked and slightly embarrassed at the sight of PrettyPenny in a towel, Jane regains her composure and comments ..."
Jane: "Why do you need a Toothbrush? You don't have to brush your teeth!"
Narrator: "PrettyPenny is taken aback. The thought had never occurred to her. Not brush teeth? What would that mean? What will become of them (her teeth)? What will become of her Toothbrush? PrettyPenny wonders ..."
PrettyPenny: "No brushed teeth for my Toothbrush. No brushed teeth for my Toothbrush. No brushed teeth, no teeth, no where, no teeth no teeth, no teeth, no where back there, no teeth.. for my Toothbrush."
Narrator: "Having heard her wonderings, Lucy enters the scene. Shocked and slightly embarrassed at the sight of PrettyPenny in a towel, Lucy regains her composure and confesses ..."
Lucy: " dah ma dah go bah pra so ma da da!"
Narrator: "Feeling a deep sense of loss and not actually sure what Lucy has said but assuming that this has just been an admission of guilt, PrettyPenny stumbles back and laments..."
PrettyPenny: "Not fair! Oh, my Toothbrush. Not fair! My poor Toothbrush. Not fair, not fair, no toothbrush, not fair, no where, no toothbrush, not fair, not fair, not fair! My little Toothbrush!"

Well, we are still not sure what actually happened to that toothbrush, but I have to admit, a toothbrush is not something I can live without for more than a couple of hours so with three girls all claiming innocence I will be on my way to the store.

BLACK HOLE

A black hole is a theoretical region of space in which the gravitational field is so powerful that nothing, not even electromagnetic radiation, can escape its pull after having fallen past its event horizon.

I've done it - I've gotten sucked into the black hole of BLOGGING. I had to do it. I gave Matthew a journal this last Christmas so that we could start to keep track of all the amazing/crazy things that happen day-to-day. Well, like all good journaler's we lasted about 5 months. VALIANT EFFORT I must say...Bravo! But, at least I can say that it is 5 months of personal history that would have been lost had we not done it. So, this is to make up for it. I am now committed to an online journal (good or bad) forever saved in cyberspace...

Aprecíe amiginho's,