Thanksgiving Week

Last week was a busy, crazy, but good one for us!  On Monday Tabitha and I drove out to Cincinnati, and the kids stayed at Heath's parents' while he was working.  She had a quick surgery on Tuesday to remove the stents in her kidneys and the tube and urine bag (hallelujah!).  Everything went well with the surgery, except that the next day we met with her doctor and found out she had a kidney infection.  So now she's on antibiotics every 8 hours until Sunday.  We'll get a renal ultrasound done here, send it to her doctor in Cincinnati, and hopefully everything will be fine.  

So now we're back to her usual routine--cathing every 4 hours and a daily hour-long enema.  Using her new Malone is much nicer than the old way of doing the enemas.  She can do the whole procedure sitting on the toilet instead of on the floor.  Hopefully she'll learn to do it by herself in the near future too.  Once she's off the antibiotics we're hoping for complete success with the enemas so that she can get out of pull-ups.  That is the worst part of all her problems.  Those of you who pray for us, please just pray that her body cooperates and she's able to stay clean and wear normal underwear.

Wednesday Tab and I came back home.  Thursday was Thanksgiving, and we had a fun day with Heath's side of the family!  That evening, my side of the family arrived at our house.  We had a second Thanksgiving on Friday, so needless to say....we've had plenty to eat lately!  It was a great weekend of fun with them, and they headed home Monday morning.  

Much to be thankful for!

Lisa

“A death in the family”. That's a phrase I've never had to use before. Our family has never experienced the sadness of losing anyone. Until now. Other than my great-grandparents (whom I didn't know very well) I've never lost a close friend or family member. I've never had to say, “My ________ died.” Until now.

The last time I saw my aunt Lisa was April 2011 on one of our huge family trips to the Outer Banks. We had a nice, long conversation on the beach—the first time the two of us had ever had such a “real” conversation. Amidst all the chaos of our big family gatherings, I remember thinking how nice it was to talk with her one-on-one, and I was looking forward to the next time we could do that. But I guess that next time will have to wait until Heaven. Last August she was diagnosed with cancer, at the age of only 44. I was scared, but I thought, “Today's medical technology and doctors will fix her.” But they couldn't. As it got more serious I thought, “God's just using this as a trial to draw us all closer to Him. He will heal her.” But He didn't. And now, I keep wishing I'd committed every word of that last conversation to memory. With all her treatments and surgeries and all the family taking turns visiting her, I never got a chance to see her again. We kept in touch by email, but that talk on the beach and the good-bye hug a few hours later, are the last memories I have of her.

What do we do with this? How does a family ever go on without one of its members? Will we ever be the same again? In one way, I know we won't. In this lifetime, we'll never hear Lisa's contagious laugh or see her beautiful smile again. She won't be there adding life to our beach trips and love to our Christmases. We won't have her around to talk with, joke with, laugh with. There will always be something missing when we get together.

And yet I know that our family WILL be the same in some ways. I know we won't lose all the precious memories we have of Lisa. I know we won't lose the connection we all share. I know we won't lose our ability to have fun, even though we've faced grief. And I know we won't lose our faith. Though God didn't answer the way we wanted Him to, He is still good, He is still in control, and He still desperately loves us and will carry each of us through this time of grieving.

Lisa has been an inspiration and an example to many. Her faith was strong, and now her faith and hope have been realized in meeting her Savior face to face. She persevered through suffering, and now her suffering is over. I know she has touched many lives and that God will use this for good. But it hurts. Saying goodbye is always hard, and saying goodbye for a lifetime is so painful. But on the other hand it is just that—a lifetime. And a lifetime is so short compared to eternity. Because of Jesus we'll have all eternity to spend with Lisa, and with Him. Because of Jesus we can grieve without being hopeless. Our hope is fulfilled in Christ, and we will see Lisa again; we just have to wait a little longer than we'd like.

Lisa, we love you and miss you so much. Can't wait until we're together again.

Our Road Trip

Well, we survived.  2300 miles, 2 adults, 4 kids, 1 pick-up truck (with 6 seats and 4 doors thankfully), 1 bathroom remodel, 4 doctor appointments, 2 hotels, 1 former roommate and her 3 family members, 2 parents, 1 brother, 1 sister, 1 brother-in-law, 1 nephew, and about 38 hours of driving not counting stops = one tired family!

We just got back from our summer "vacation."  Part of it was Tabitha's appointments, and most of it was work for Heath, but nonetheless, it still had some vacation aspects to it.  :)  We went out to my parents' house in Omaha, NE, with a dual purpose:  Heath could remodel a bathroom for my sister and her husband, and the rest of us could have fun visiting!  I feel a little bad for Heath, but mostly thankful that I have such a wonderful husband.  :)

We got to meet up with my freshman-year roommate, Rachael and her family.  The kids had a blast swimming in the hotel pool, and Rachael and I really enjoyed catching up after 10 2/3 years!

Rachael and her girls with me and half my kids

Tabitha's appointments went fine.  She still has kidney reflux, worse than before.  So her urologist has increased her medication for that.  We're working on scheduling, but sometime in the next 3-6 months or so she'll be going back for kidney surgery and Malone surgery.  The extent of the kidney surgery will depend on how this medication affects things.  They'll do more testing when we get there--hopefully things will be good enough that she'll only need the kidney adjustment and not bladder reconstruction.  So pray with us for that!  Also, she'll be having a "Malone" put in her belly button.  This is a little opening, via the appendix, that will enable her to have her enemas that way.  She'll also be able to do it herself eventually, which will be very important as she gets older!  At this point it looks like she'll need catheters for life, and probably enemas too.  But they do say sometimes kids in her situation will be able to manage without enemas when they're older, but there's no way of telling whether or not she will be able to.  I'm trying to just take it a day at a time.  She isn't bothered much by any of it, but I get easily overwhelmed when I think of this going on forever.  Pray for me to walk step by step, without trying to figure out the future!

After the medical stuff we continued our drive all the way to Omaha.  It was wonderful to see my family!  Well, half of my siblings were away (Jeremy--working at a camp, Ashley--teaching in Korea, Michael--stationed in Alaska), but we got to see Stephen and Carrie and Lcas (her husband), plus Mom & Dad, and Michael's son Aidan.  We also got to meet Mom & Dad's baby foster daughter.  We did a lot of fun stuff with them, and it's always good to see everybody.

such cute sisters

Rayanna with Grandpa & Grandma

the boys with Uncle Stephen

Aren't we cute?

 . . . or maybe not.

Heath & Lcas

Grandma and the boys put on a magic show for us!

Heath spent the whole week working on Carrie & Lcas' bathroom.  It was a big project, but they were able to get it done on time.  Then we drove back over 2 days.  The trip went astonishingly well until the last couple hours, when we had all had enough and I lost my temper and let everyone have it!  Such a nice way to end a trip!  >:-P  But we're home now and resettled.  I'm very thankful for the chance to go and for the safe and (almost) problem-free trip!

Updates

I have some updates on extended family:

My aunt Lisa, whom I posted about last August, continues to battle cancer.  She's been through numerous treatments and surgeries.  Things look good for awhile, then they look bad, then they look good, then they look bad.  It's been a very hard time . . . for her and also for the whole family.  She's been going through a clinical trial, which has seemed to be having good results.  But now she has to take a break from that to get radiation on some tumors causing intense pain.  She has been such a trooper through all this, and is trusting the Lord.  It's been great to see her responding to this in a way that glorifies God.  But, as wonderful as that is, I think the human side in all of us is desperate for this trial to be over and Lisa restored to health.

Meanwhile, my uncle (also on my dad's) side, just had a severe stroke this week and is in the hospital.  Both Lisa and Jeff are young--nowhere near the age where you expect to hear about health problems like these.  It's really strange because on both sides of my extended family, we've never dealt with big medical issues like this (at least to my recollection).  My mom's the oldest of 4 kids, my dad's the oldest of 10.  Both sets of my grandparents are still alive and healthy, and our extended family has always had good health for the most part.  I guess that's a pretty unusual blessing, but it's kind of made me feel that "all that stuff" happens to OTHER people's families, not mine!  Anyway, Lisa and Jeff are on opposite sides of the country (NC and CA), which I'm sure is putting an added toll on my grandparents and aunts and uncles.  Prayer for all of them is definitely appreciated!

And finally, some good news!  My brother Michael is home!!  He's still a few thousand miles away from me, but having him in Alaska is a much better feeling than having him in Afghanistan!!  We're very thankful for his service to our country, and we're very, very thankful for his safety!  Welcome home, Michael!!

Christmas Blessings

We've had an eventful Christmas week!  We were with Heath's extended family on Christmas Eve.  Then on Christmas Day we had our own family time in the morning, went to church together, and then spent the rest of the day with Heath's immediate family.

the kids with Mommom & Granddad Runkles

The next morning we left for North Carolina to be with the Stuenzi side of the family at the beach.  Just before leaving, we found out that my aunt Lisa, who's been struggling with cancer, had gone to the ER Christmas morning.  While we were driving we found out more information and it looked pretty bad, like she might not even make it.  My grandparents and all their kids had gone to the hospital in Charlotte to be with her, but the rest of the family (about 40 people) were still at the beach so we kept going.  It was a scary time for everyone, wondering how things would turn out for Lisa.  The next morning Lisa had surgery, and it went wonderfully!  It was such a relief that it went well, and such a blessing that the family could be together, and many of them be with her during this time.  We all live scattered all over the country, so having this happen at a time we were all coming together anyway turned out to be a blessing, even if it's not something you want to happen at Christmas!  You can read her story at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lisastuenzi.  It's not over yet, and we certainly appreciate your prayer for her.

We all had a good time at the beach.  It was full of the usual chaos, noise, fun, games, food, and fellowship.  I'm so glad we got to go, but I sure am tired out from it all!  We came home yesterday (New Year's Eve) and were in bed by 10:30.  I normally love celebrating and counting down on New Year's Eve, but we were exhausted!   

Rayanna's first beach experience (She wasn't too thrilled about the sand.)

Rayanna trying out Grandpa's glasses

Tabitha with Great Grandpa

Stacy, Tammy, and Debbie playing some strange late-night card game

As we end 2011 I'm so thankful for all the blessings God has given us and all the things He's brought us through.  As we start 2012, I'm looking forward to a fresh start and a year full of new adventures.  Happy New Year, everyone!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

My mom turned 55 last month.  (Sorry if I'm not supposed to share that, Mom, but I don't think you'd mind.)  =)  Anyway, in honor of her 55 years and being the best mom we've ever had, the family all pitched in to send her on a special weekend getaway!  The whole thing was a surprise; all she knew was to keep the weekend open.  I flew out there (all by myself nonetheless), saw my family for a couple of hours, and then my sister Carrie and I kidnapped Mom and took her to the tiniest town ever:  Cambridge, Nebraska.  Population:  1,000.

We stayed at  a   the cute little bed and breakfast in town.  The lady who ran it gave us the whole history of the house and the town, and cooked us some delicious meals!  We had ordered the "quilting package", so during the day Saturday we went across the street to a cute little quilting shop called "Cottage Inspirations."  We had our very own quilting class and each made a table runner for Christmas.  It was really fun to have some time together and to do something creative.  For me, the best part of the quilting project was having 6 straight hours to work on something with no one interrupting me!  It was really great to have some time with my mom and sister, and I'm really glad we were able to do it.  Here's a picture of us with our masterpieces!
 

Happy birthday, Mom!  We love you.  =)

Michael

This is my brother Michael.  He's 27 and a Staff Sergeant in the Airforce.  He works in EOD, which has caused my sons to give him the nickname, "Little Bomb Boy."  Not sure how they came up with the "little" part since he's twice their size, but nonetheless the name has stuck.

Anyway, Michael deployed to Afghanistan last week.  He'll be there about 6 months.  I'm so proud of my little brother and the work he does.  I'm not at all envious though!  I like my safe little life here in rural America and have no desire to live in a tent in the desert or fight terrorists or dismantle bombs or anything of the sort.  But thank goodness there are people who are willing to do all of that.  

Michael's been to Iraq twice and both times has come home with nary a scratch.  We're praying the same for this time!  In human terms, Afghanistan (and especially the area he's in) is much more dangerous than Iraq.  But I have to keep reminding myself that he's no less in God's hands now than he was then.  Please join me in praying for his safety--physical, spiritual, emotional.  And remember to thank the military families in your life!

Lisa

Please be in prayer for my aunt Lisa.  She's my dad's sister, only 45 years old, and she was recently diagnosed with cancer.  She'll be having surgery on Monday the 29th, the day before Tabitha's.  You can visit her caring bridge site by clicking here.  Thanks for praying!

Taylor Family Reunion

This week we had the wonderful privilege to get together with my mom's side of the family.  My grandparents are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary this year!  (Congratulations Grandmom & Grandpop!)  To celebrate, they treated us to a vacation!

There were about 20 of us who came, and we all stayed at the Canna Inn.  It was really neat!  It used to be a barn, but it was converted into a large house.  The owners kept a lot of the original look to it, so it's a very unique place to stay, full of character.  (I failed to take any pictures of it though, so sorry I can't post it here!)

We arrived on Sunday afternoon and had a chance to get reacquainted with some relatives we hadn't seen in a long time.  My little cousins had grown up into teenagers!  And I finally got to meet my aunt's husband for the first time!  :)

On Monday we had a professional family photo taken outside the Inn.  They turned out really nice and will make a nice memory of our time together.  My favorite is the one we had taken of my grandmom, my mom, me, and Tabitha:  four generations of mother/daughter relationships.  After the photography we went to the nearby State Park to swim and relax and enjoy the 4th of July.

On Tuesday most of us went to Hershey Park.  Although I'd been to the Hershey Chocolate Museum there twice I'd never been to the park before.  It was a lot of fun.  My mom and I spent the day mainly at the kiddie rides.  My mom even did the bumper cars!  The boys and Heath and I enjoyed the wave pool for a little while.  That felt awesome on such a hot day!  My brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and cousins did some of the bigger rides or spent the day at the water park.  We finally made it home about 8 pm.  We were truly exhausted, but glad we'd had such a fun day.

On Wednesday some of us went to the Harley Davidson factory.  We got to take a tour around the actual factory.  It was pretty amazing to see how they make the various parts of the bikes!  Heath was disappointed that we didn't get a free bike as a souvenir, but it was really interesting to see how they're made.  Afterward, Mom kept the kids so Heath and I could have a lunch date at Friendly's.

In the evenings, we played games, talked, and relaxed at the house.  My grandparents planned all of this for us and made it a very special time for each one of us!  Grandpop also spent time sharing from his heart about his and Grandmom's love and care for all the family, and their desire for us to walk with the Lord.  They are a very special couple, and we love and appreciate them so much!  Happy Anniversary, Grandmom & Grandpop!

Sun, Sand, Waves, and Relatives

The kids and I just got back from a wonderful week at the beach with the Stuenzi clan. There were about 30 of us there this time, out of 50-something total. As always, it was a lot of fun! We spent hours on the beach, played lots of games, had great conversations, ate tons of food, and even had an evening of "Minute to Win It" (compliments of Cousin Kaylin). I missed Heath being there, since he had to stay home and work. But it was a really nice break and lots of fun. I'm so thankful for the wonderful relatives I'm blessed to have.

Here are some pictures to summarize the week.

Todd

Todd is a little boy that my parents have had as a foster child for the past two years.  They got him when he was first released from the hospital.  He's Native American, from the Omaha Tribe.  Apart from brief visits with his birth parents, my parents are the only parents he's ever known.  

My siblings are the same people he knows as his siblings, and his home is with them.  My own kids jokingly refer to him as "Uncle Todd."  =)

He has brought so much laughter and joy to my parents and my brothers and sisters still living there.  He's brought a new sense of youthfulness and fun to my dad, and filled my mom's days with what she loves most--taking care of little ones.  

Unfortunately, since my parents are not from the Tribe, they are not allowed to adopt him, though they would in a heartbeat.  They've known this all along, and yet the "system" has done great injustice to everyone involved.  For two years, the people in charge have said they would find an Indian family to be his foster or adoptive parents.  So several times a family was presented, they'd think Todd would be moving away, and then that family wouldn't work out for some reason, and he'd stay longer with my parents.  Of course, all this time he was growing older and becoming more attached.  My parents had been hoping to get permanent guardianship even though they couldn't adopt, and that did look hopeful for awhile.  

But now a family has been found.  A family from the Tribe.  My parents met them, and they do seem to be a good family, and Todd should have a good life with them.  But it angers me that this process has taken two years.  I'm angry that because of politics a child's life has been toyed with like this.  I'm grieved for a little boy who is being taken away from the only family he knows, who can't possibly understand why at his young age.  And  I'm grieved for my parents who are losing a child.  While they knew this was to be temporary, that didn't at all lessen the love they have for Todd or the whole-hearted way they have cared for him these past two years.  They are very selfless people to even do foster care at all, and to have Todd as their son for two years and then have to let him go has to be heartbreaking.  My siblings that live in Omaha have also embraced him and come to love him as part of the family.  Even from here in Maryland I'm so saddened by the thought that he won't be there next time we go to visit.  

While we trust in God's plan for Todd's life, it's so hard to see how all this can be for the good.  But, Mom and Dad, I know Todd is richer for the time he has spent with you.  I know firsthand what a blessing it is to have you as parents, even if it was only for his first couple years.  And I pray that as he goes on to a new chapter of life, he will always carry with him the loving foundation he started with.  

We'll miss you, Little Toddy.

Hangin' With the Stars

We were out in DC this weekend and ran into some famous people.

Here's me and Johnny.  He was trying to look intimidating for the picture, but he was actually quite glad to see me.

Tabitha had a nice conversation with Julia Roberts.

Jesse got a few pointers from Tiger.

Will didn't have time to talk, but he did pose for a quick picture for us.

This one was a re-enact ment.  Obviously we didn't really go to the moon.

OK, OK. We didn't really meet any of these people. (Did I fool anyone though? Even for a second or two?) Michael (my brother) is working in DC this month, so we went to see him Saturday, and he took us to the wax museum. It was really amazing! They all looked so real! It was almost creepy!

Here are a few more pictures from our travels back in time.

Very fun time.  I'd highly recommend it!  It's a rare museum that actually lets you photograph anything, let alone touch everything!  Lots of fun.  =)