I was a little panicky (still not sure if that is even a word) as she started snipping his beautiful hair.

Look out Justin Bieber!

What do you mean it's hard to tell he even got a cut? It looks shorter to me. Just trust me on that. =)
He was helping his dad work in the yard at the barn and I had to snap this picture of his cute & dirty face!  

Thank you for all the emails about my sister. She is doing so much better!

I wanted to post some of the pictures from the hospital.

Misti, Jerry and Sophie just minutes before Samuel arrived

Sophie and Taylor Ann in the waiting room

Aunt Dordi (that's me!) with Taylor Ann 
 I love this picture of Sophie trying to see Samuel!
 Little Samuel Harison 7lb 7oz
 Kendall and her new baby cousin

 Reagon Brooke taking her turn!
Speaking of Reagon, we recently celebrated her 14th birthday party. She went through so much this past year with us. Her 13th birthday party was just a couple days after Jed's diagnosis and I remember being so upset about her not getting a fun birthday party. She made up for it this year! I'm still tired from the overnight camping party! lol
We have had some crazy weather here in Arkansas. One day it's beautiful and sunny and the next day (today), it's cool and stormy.

Jed took full advantage of a warm day last week. I love this picture! He is dirty as a little pig and chowing down on his first watermelon of the season!

Jed rarely speaks of "cancer" or talks about the past year but many times he brings things up in "play time".  Last week, he and I were playing outside. He came up to me holding one of Kendall's dolls and said "let's play husband"....which translated is "let's play house".  He said "you take the baby and get in the car. I will get the diaper bag and the throw-up bucket". 

During our play time (and yes, a 125 pound woman CAN fit inside a cozy coupe car!) we rode around our back yard and I 'drove' the cozy couple while he held the baby doll. Every now and then, he would say "stop!!!" and would get out and hold his baby doll's head in the bowl. He would pat it's back and say some of the things that Josh and I have said to him on the side of the road. Bless his little heart.

One last thing....

We are all gearing up for an exciting day in our area. May 13th, we will be participating in RELAY FOR LIFE! If you would like to help us, you can sponsor TEAM JED!!!! 100% of the money raised will go to the American Cancer Society to help cure cancer!!!

No amount is too small and is so appreciated! If you wish, you could mail a check to me, wrote out to the American Cancer Society and write TEAM JED on the memo note of the check. Our goal is to raise $2500 by May 13th.

Thank you all again for following my blog and for continuing to keep our family is your prayers!



"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)




Address:
PO BOX 123
Story, AR 71970

One year ago today while Josh was cooking lunch, we received a call that changed our lives forever. The call was the diagnosis of Jed's tumor. A rare/highly malignant/aggressive muscle cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma.

One month ago today, one of Jed's biggest prayer warriors and our dear friend Tammy collapsed in the hospital after a MRI. She never regained consiseness and passed away a few days later at the young age of 50, leaving behind 5 precious granddaughters. Her illness and death were sudden. Tammy's close friend Donna, a beautiful christian woman, passed away just a few hours later, on the very same day. She had battled cancer for years.

One week ago today, my sister almost bled to death after the delivery of her second child. After several units of blood and emergency surgery, she was finally able to hold her sweet little miracle. She is finally home and slowly healing.

Today, our family is preparing for my dear sweet grandmother's funeral. She passed away last night with all of us at her bedside, after an 8 year battle with alzheimers.

A month from today, they will still be combing through the aftermath of Japan's horrible earthquake and tsunami to find people of all ages who perished in the disaster.

No matter what age, no matter the circumstances, we will all face death at some time. I pray that every single person reading this blog has accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. God could choose to take us at any time.

Tonight, we dry our tears and thank our Lord for healing our precious son. We continue to lay Jedidiah at the feet of the Master and trust that he is totally and completely healed of this aggressive cancer and that it will never enter his body again.
“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands”.  Deuteronomy 7:9

As I type, the house is super quiet and I am sitting in my office in front of a picture window enjoying a beautiful sunshine filled day! I am thinking of taking the laptop to the back yard swing and working the rest of the day. Too bad my fax machine cord doesn't stretch that far. lol

Due to all the snow days at school, Kendall's Valentine Sweetheart dance was rescheduled last week. She looked so cute in the dress she picked out while shopping in Branson over the New Years holiday. Because I am so crafty (lol), I found a red glitter heart to attach to her silver dress to make it more "valentiney"....is that a word? I also convinced her to wear a little red bracelet. However, she could not be convinced to a) wear hot rollers in her hair or b) wear pretty flats or c) wear a glitter headband or d) wear a pretty sweater over her dress....the list could go on and on! 

 Yes, that's right. The child wore boots with her dress. You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl! Love the basketball bruise on her arm.
 What I wouldn't give for this skin and hair color...minus the red salon streaks.
 Her first "dinner date"...notice the roses in her lap!
She had a great time at the dance! Most of the time you could find the girls in one huddle and the boys in another huddle! It was lots of fun and I enjoyed watching her run and dance and play with her friends. After we made it home, Kendall showed Josh her roses and Reagon mentioned that I let her "hang out" for an hour in the parking lot with her friends during the dance and Josh's blood pressure was sky high!  I don't think he slept a wink that night. lol

Wednesday was our big scan day. This was the second set of scans since stopping chemo. I know that we will be doing this on a regular basis for the next five years but I doubt that it will get any easier on my nerves.

We woke up extra early and hit the rode before 5:30am. Jed slept most of the way in my big comfy tshirt. I was thankful he didn't wake up because he was not able to eat or drink until after the scans were completed.

Checking his weight and height.....and of course, the tough job of picking out just the right sticker. This can sometimes take for.ever. =) 
I laugh so hard looking at this picture. Ms Melinda came in to flush his port and get blood work and Jed looked at her and said "I knew it. I just knew it!" Bless his heart, he knew what was about to happen. It doesn't hurt much because of the numbing cream, but if someone came at my chest with a needle, I would be anxious too!
 Back in the waiting room, Jed had so much fun playing with his friends. I love this picture because it really shows how well his eyelashes have grown back, his sweet hair and his big smile!
Jed loves playing with baby Jaxon. Jed and Jaxon were diagnosed just four weeks apart so we have walked this journey together. Jaxon goes in tomorrow for what we pray will be his last set of chemo drugs and his CLEAN ct scan. Could you all pray for Jaxon with us?
Maddie and Jedidiah......Maddie was in clinic the very first day we entered the room with Jed to meet Dr Stine and find out what was going on. She is the little girl that I talk about having the sparkle polish in my early blog entries. She is so sweet. Please pray for her too! She sure is having a rough time with her ALL Leukemia.
 Getting ready to scan.....


 He was such a big boy and didn't have to be sedated. He was scared only for a few seconds, as you can see from the picture below. His eyes opened really wide and he said "what if I move my eyelashes?"...bless his heart!

 Thankful it was over!
 Dr Stine came in and said the preliminary report was not in yet but he looked over the scans and it looked all clear to him. We were sooooo thankful! It is so hard to sit in a small room and wait on the dr to open the door with the news. A million things run through my mind. Knowing that a relapse would change everything and a clean scan means we are one step closer to our cancer free mark!

Mark 1:40 "If you are willing, you can make me clean."

Leaving the hospital with Papa, wearing his new fireman jacket from the nurses and ready for pizza!!!


Jeremiah 33:3, 6 ... "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know."

Thank you for praying for our family and our son. We are looking forward to the "great and mighty things" God has in store for us!