December 22, 2010

Christmas week update

We are like all of you this time of year, full speed ahead and getting ready for Santa!  The stress has still not made it's way back to me and I am so thankful for that. I hope I can feel like this every year at Christmas!

Blogger has been cranky with my photos so I will make this short and sweet. Hopefully, I can post again tomorrow. I really want to show you all the video of Jed singing in our church Christmas program. He did such a good job on "Happy Birthday Jesus" dressed as a sweet little angel!

While wrapping gifts for the kids this week, I found this cute little note on my craft table. I almost cried thinking that it won't be much longer that she will be a teenager and I won't see these cute little letters any more. I am trying hard to savor every moment.

We have had a few "pj and movie nights" at our house recently. Most of the time we are busy heating up the roads between church and ballgames but we have been able to find a few nights to just sit together and relax. Don't you just love these cute little footed pjs?
Lots and baking and cooking and gift wrapping! Kendall and I put together several teachers' gifts with some yummy white chocolate dipped popcorn. I think we ate way more than we wrapped up!

To keep busy while the cookies baked, Jedidiah and Kendall painted a new nativity set. I bought it for 3.50 last year at Hobby Lobby on a 75% after Christmas sale. It turned out so cute!
 I love being with family! We have already celebrated Christmas with my parents and family this past weekend and we have many more family celebrations to look forward to this week! I can't wait for them all!
I love these three children, loaned to me by a gracious God.

I love their big smiles and excitement this time of year!
Family funnel cake and movie night at our house! Jed was "in charge" of the powdered sugar. =)
We all attended Kendall's Christmas class party and Christmas program. Her class did such a good job!

I would like to ask each of you to please be in prayer for Jed's friend DJ. She is 17 and her cancer has returned. There will be no chemo this time around. Pray that the Lord will give her peace and comfort and will work a miracle in her life. Also, please pray for her mom, Crystal.

 
"I will sing of the LORD's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself."

Psalm 89:1-2


Posted by Lori Harper at 6:49 AM 3 comments

December 14, 2010

My Christmas Gift

For Christmas this year, I wanted pictures of my three kids.

I love how they turned out and thought you all might enjoy seeing them!

Reagon Brooke, age 13

Kendall Elizabeth, age 9

Jedidiah Roger, age 4








 
Psalms 127:3.... children are an heritage of the LORD

Posted by Lori Harper at 11:51 AM 15 comments

December 7, 2010

Counting our Blessings!

Thank you all for being so patient with me. It's always nice to get notes asking "when are you going to update your blog?"

Most of you that know me or have read my blog for a while, know that I am a bit OCD and can work myself up in a tizzy this time of year. I can actually say with 100% honesty that I have had the most relaxed feeling this year concerning the holidays. I love to decorate my home, love to try and capture the "perfect" Christmas picture for our cards, love to bake stacks and stacks of holiday treats and direct our church's Christmas program, among countless other things..all while working a full time job. Normally, that sends me close to the edge right about this week in December. Not this year. I had a blast decorating my home for the holidays and enjoyed watching the kids help with the tree..who cares if the ornaments are in one main area, at the lower part of the tree? I baked 12 loaves of banana bread and enjoyed every second of it, especially the 3 loaves I ate. The Christmas cards are ready and capture such a beautiful time in our lives...Jed's little sprigs of blonde hair had just started popping up, Reagon's beautiful teenage, brace filled smile and Kendall's freckles and red hair just shine! In years past, I had a hard time sitting down with the family to enjoy "Rudolph's Shiny New Year" without folding laundry or getting up to finish the supper dishes. Not this year. I enjoy the movie probably more than anyone in the room. I am certainly counting my blessings this year and one of the blessings I am most thankful for is the change the Lord has made in my heart. He has shown me this year, more than ever before, what is truly important.

This past week, I spent a lot of time in prayer for Jed's scans. This being the very first set of scans after stopping his chemo treatments. Dr Stine has explained to us that if Jed's cancer relapsed, it would probably do so in the first 2-3 years after stopping chemo so each scans brings such horrible anxiety. I am so very thankful for each of you who lift us up before the scans! We can truly feel the covering of prayer.

Jed was such a big boy on scan day! He has grown so much in the last 9 months.
One of our favorite nurses, Ms Melinda....she is a true blessing to our family!  

While sitting in the exam room and waiting on the doctor, I gave Jed my camera to play with. He snapped this picture the second Dr Stine came in the room. Dr Stine said "wow, are you the paparazzi!"
The waiting period after the scans was close to two and a half hours but thankfully we had my mom, Josh's parents, GG and so many of our dear Wednesday friends together that day and the time actually flew by. I can't even begin to tell you how much these friends (and several more) mean to me. I feel like we are all walking the same path and we are all helping each other each step of the way.
I am so thankful the hospital allows Josh and I to go to the scan room with Jed. It would be pure torture if we were not allowed in the room with him. He was more scared this time than the past scans so we had to do a lot of talking and rubbing his head and feet to keep him still. We choose to do this scan without sedation and the only way it will work is if he lays perfectly still. That is hard when you are only four and scared. Josh did a lot of praying in the scan room! Thankfully, Jed managed to be still enough despite being scared and the scans were completed.

Dr Stine called us back to the room to receive the results and Josh and I both fought back tears. We know that in one single second our whole world could totally change. When he walked in with a big smile on his face, Josh and I both felt like our hearts would burst with joy and gratefulness!

We left the hospital with big smiles and one thing on our mind! Celebrating!!!! Clean scans and a 4th birthday!

We invited our family to join us on Saturday for Jed's birthday. What a wonderful time to celebrate this precious gift in our lives!
We placed a "giving tree" on a table at the party and asked those that wanted to, to contribute $4 to the tree. The money was then counted and $72 dollars will be donated to our clinic in Jed's name, in honor of his 4th birthday. I can't wait for him to personally deliver the check to the hospital next week.
His favorite part of the evening...practicing blowing out his candle before everyone arrived!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE planning birthday parties! This one was lots of fun to set up. Jed wanted a "deer camp" party but since we did a "deer hunting" party last year, we went with a "camping" theme this year.

Yes, that is a 'possum hanging from the light.....(and Josh thought I was crazy when I picked up two of these stuffed opossums at a goodwill store last year....the man has no vision...lol)
 I asked Jed to pose for a "few" pictures.....
 "Mom...pwease..are you done yet???"
 "Mommmmmm"
The birthday boy surrounded by his sister, girlfriend Mazie and a bunch of cousins!
 Ava enjoying a yummy smore! How blessed we are that she is cancer free!!!!!  
 Taylor Ann at the craft table
The party was wonderful and I loved having our family all together in our home!

Sunday morning I took a few pictures before leaving for church...
I am so thankful that Jed and I can now go to church with our family. It was so hard having to stay home while they left each Sunday morning.



I LOVE my teen Sunday school class! I never thought I would say that!!! LOL  I usually prefer the younger kids but this year, my teens have been great!  We worked on a Christmas tree chain after our lesson. I asked each of them to fill out 10 strips, writing on them something that they are thankful for.
While my teens were working on the craft, I snuck over to Jed's class to get a snapshot. This picture means so much to me. Elise was one of our biggest prayer warriors for Jed...and still is. There is only a couple ladies that have ever helped me watch Jed (besides family) because I am so picky about who he is with. Elise was one of the two women. Jed dearly loves going to her house! She is Jed's Sunday school teacher and now she is battling breast cancer. She has completed two rounds of chemo so far. Now, Jed is one of her biggest prayer warriors. Please pray for her! She is so special to our family.
I love this group of kids! (please excuse our mess, we are in the middle of a remodel)
 Jedidiah is such a little blessing to our church. He never misses an opportunity to sing a special! Sometimes he will just play and sing from his heart, whatever he is thinking at the time. His last song was "I love you Jesus, cause you love me. You died on the cross for me. We don't like the devil but we like you".  Priceless!
Last week while watching a Christmas movie with our family, I found myself just staring at Jed. Just looking at every detail of his baby face by the light our Christmas tree. Sometimes it is hard to fight back the tears when looking at him. So grateful that he is healed and sitting in our living room with us. And yet, hurting for all the sweet friends who lost their babies this year.

In the next few weeks, we will all be celebrating! Celebrating the birth of our KING! We will also be celebrating all our many blessings from the past 9 months. One of the greatest blessings is all of you..our prayer warriors! Those who have consistently prayed for and loved our son and walked this journey right along beside us.

We continue to ask for your fervent prayers. I can't underestimate the importance of the next few scans. Each "clean scan" report we receive knocks down the chance of relapse. 

We are so grateful for the love and prayers poured out for Jedidiah and our family.

"He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."    2 Corinthians 1:10

Posted by Lori Harper at 11:10 AM 6 comments

December 2, 2010

Clean Scans!!!!

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.  Hebrews 4:16

Thank you all so much for going to the throne on behalf of our precious son! Jed's scans were clean and clear!

Posted by Lori Harper at 1:40 PM 31 comments