As the end of 2010 comes to a completion tonight I am filled with thoughts of the wonderful blessings and growth that have come from it!
We did not know Josiah last year this time and he has definitely been a wonderful blessing.
Hannah and I have enjoyed making some interesting cuisine! New England dinner, corned our own beef brisket! Tonight Cornish hen in a wine sauce with mushrooms and onions. Swedish meatballs and homemade bread to name a few more.  What fun!
As we close out the year our family hopes you and yours continue to walk the road less traveled and fight the battles that really matter, to the victory, with Christ right beside you all the way!

We had a cool time in snowy Kentucky!  It snowed the entire time we were there.
Hannah and her team won the volleyball tournament which had us on the edge of our seats for the final 3 game play off!
The time spent visiting with Daniel and Kelsi seemed very short as we were all so busy with sports or crafts or just having fun!
Josiah enjoyed his time as well and we hardly knew he was along on the 10hr. trip.  Martha helped brighten those long hours on the road and also refereed the fights which popped up from time to time between our bored children.
Now the new roman year is about upon us and we must pull up our boot straps and work hard at school(Sarah, Sam and Anna), work (Bruce, Abby and Hannah) and at home
I hope you are finding new insights each day that bring you closer to the pattern laid out by our Savior.

The excitement and anticipation has built to an almost feverish pitch here in the Chesney household as we plan to leave for the Winter Family Tournament in Lexington KY.  They love this annual event more then anything else we do throughout the year.  Martha plans to ride down with us, this will be her first time!
We have finally learn what Sarah's health problems are stemming from as blood tests show that she has Mono.  The lump in her back is most likely a swollen lymph node.  She tires easily but we feel she has had this for several weeks if not a month or more so she should be on the up swing now.
Hope you are staying healthy and feeling the love of Christ warming your heart as you serve Him faithfully each day.

The family seems to be getting their health back and with it their feist (short for feisty).  The days have gone by quickly as everyone anticipates going to Lexington in a week.  I am the exception, I dread long car rides for several reasons, many of which I am sure you can imagine.  But getting a break from the mundane does have it's appeal and so I am willing to suffer for 10 hours.  Seeing Daniel and Kelsi will definitely make up for the long cramped trip.
Bruce has been working 8 hrs. a day in the cold. He has been feeling the frigid weather is his joints and is very achy by evening.
Josiah is much better and has become quite fun to watch as he is learning to crawl (fast) and stand.  Sarah is still suffering from pain in her back and the doctor is, more then ever, convinced it is a lymph node. He ran more blood tests for mono and Epstein Barr virus.  Hannah and Abby are both working hard and are very tired when they get home, which leaves me with most of the chores, except vacuuming which Sarah does.  The orthopedic doctor said I will be on a 5-10 lb. restriction for another 6 weeks.  I am experiencing some symptoms of numbness and arm pain again.  He said that I must be careful because it takes a while to heal.  This of course is quite frustrating to me, I can't even pick up Josiah. But I know it won't always be this way! For we must fix our heart, soul and mind on our eternal hope and salvation.
Life is hard some times especially on these cold winter type days, dear ones, but please remember "His mercies are new every morning" and "His love is an everlasting love".  Even when we feel distant from Him he is not far away, we just need to turn around and open our eyes. He says He will never leave us or forsake us. Just meditating on these words can turn the grayest of days into ones of sunshine and hope!

Well I tried scaring the blues away by Bible study and cleaning.  It has worked and I am feeling more cheerful, however physically I am run down and not feeling well.  Bruce is still coughing and not getting much sleep, hopefully that will change soon, we are both on antibiotics!
I am studying Beth Moore's Stepping Up , a study of the Psalms of Ascent.  The 120th chapter begins with a feeling of woe, so it was an appropriate place for me to begin, as they say, "misery loves company".  Perhaps just knowing someone else understands the feeling of "woe" makes one not feel so alone.  After all we know King David went through much in his life and yet he overcame great obstacles and with the help of God won the race in the end.
What a wonderful encouragement and comfort we have with God's own Word and the great hope He has given us through His Son!

Well, I am sorry to say the winter blues have really set in.  I can't seem to pull myself out of the doldrums.  Having 8 people sharing this somewhat small living area is just a little much.  Add to that colds and the flu and then a baby who has mastered an ear piercing scream that can endure for an hour or more and you have an almost impossible situation.
But I am brought back to reality as I realize the number of homeless are growing and the shelters are jam packed on these very briskly cold nights.
Our troubles seem quite small as we consider the growing number of those losing jobs and homes.  And as we see those around us suffering we must be ready to lend a helping hand.  For when Christ divides the sheep from the goats, he bases his decision on those that gave drink, food and clothes to those in need and upon visiting those in prison and those who were sick ( Matt.25:31-46). Christ places a high priority upon those in need and it is apparently very important that we do the same.
So if you are feeling a bit of the winter blues, reach out to someone in need and I know you will be blessed!

We are having a lot of head and chest colds in our household, everyone has it including Bruce and little Josiah.  We decided to go bowling with my parents and family, probably against our better judgement, we all felt so run down.  We enjoyed the visit any ways, especially with Joanna, Garrett and Anita.  Joanna, Martha's daughter was in from Michigan.  Garrett proposed while at the beach in Delaware on Saturday, of course Joanna accepted!  Anita my niece is in from Florida, how I and Martha have missed her!  We have so much in common and really enjoyed catching up!
I hope you are enjoying the warmth of family and friends on these cold winter days as well!

Happy Thanksgiving

Our family just wants to thank each of you!  You all have enriched our lives and blessed us with your prayers! Thank you!

It has been a little while since I wrote and so I will catch you up on whats happening here.
Samuel's fractured nose is healing, so he has started rugby practice (more reason for gray hair).
Hannah is finally back to work after a bout with bronchitis and Anna is struggling to get through it as well.
Sarah came home Sunday, she had a lot of cramping and pain.  Tuesday she went to the doctor, they found red and white blood cells in her urine, the lab later reported a positive result for infection.  She started an antibiotic but is still having pain from the deep seated small lump in her back.  Further lab work and a MRI are to be done this week if she is not better.
Bruce has been working hard at plenty of service calls. He has been quite stiff and achy, I am not sure if it is because of the colder weather.  Otherwise, he is feeling well.
 Abby's room is now remodeled after being flooded and she is enjoying moving back in and getting her things organized.  Daniel and Anna's birthday have come and gone.  Martha and my mother and dad came for Anna's birthday helping to make her special day more festive.  Two of Anna's friends joined us as well and we enjoyed their songs and ballads as they performed using her new guitar.  Abby brought her boyfriend's dog (a gentle part pit bull breed) and he seemed to have a fondness for the girl's strumming and crooning.
I am still not allowed to drive from 3 more weeks and so I have been getting a lot of walking exercise going to the store (about 2 miles).  I walk more to get out, Bruce would drive me any time I ask, but he is very busy.  I have started using a CPAP machine at night.   It is somewhat of a challenge to get used to.  I am feeling somewhat more refreshed upon awaking so it is worth the challenge.  I am spending more time at doing crafts and ....cleaning. ( :
Each day brings with it new challenges and struggles,..and  blessings abundantly given by the Master's hand.

Youth Rally 11-6-2010

Wow, what a super evening! We were filled to capacity!  The youth and young adults came from Maryland, New York and Virginia. The Lanham MD group brought their worship band and led worship.  Dennis Farrar from New York shared some great worship songs he has recorded.  His praise team, included Cameron and Camilla Crayton and several others from NY, they sang with great harmony!  Jason Pack gave a super testimonial and Mike Waybright shared a humorous lesson!  More then 20 asked for prayer and anointing before the service was over.  Everyone headed for a late night at the gym after pizza and refreshments. Many slept over, filling almost every pew in the sanctuary and classrooms downstairs.
Hannah and Mark & Robin Sullivan put a lot of effort into preparations and their labor was definitely worth it!

The week went by fairly quickly and we are looking forward to having guests for the young adult/youth rally tomorrow.  Hannah has been working hard on preparations all week.
Bruce is a little upset.  Some business checks went missing this week and he has been so busy he is not sure if he miss laid them or if they have been stolen.
The clean up and remodeling is going well for Abby's room, it should be better then it was before.
Sarah has an ultra-sound scheduled for Monday, hopefully that will show us what the lump on her back is, so a course of treatment can start.  She is not sleeping or eating well.
I am doing much better as the week has gone by.  Swallowing is still a bit difficult, but it has improved.  Still tire easily and am losing weight ( which I will not complain about). ( :
Hope your Sabbath is peaceful and pleasant, full of God's mercy and grace!

We are a little concerned about Sarah.  She was told by an ER Doctor that she had a fatty tumor cyst and that she should see a dermatologist.  The lump has been increasingly painful and has enlarged over the past weeks. She saw the dermatologist today, who told her the lump is not a cyst.  They want her to have an ultrasound, suggesting that it may be a swollen lymph node or a muscle injury.  She was just getting excited about playing basket ball at Spring Vale, but must rest instead.
She is quite upset as you might imagine and we are again perplexed about whether we should bring her home for medical treatment here.  Your prayers again are greatly appreciated.

The days, now, are long and uneventful, except for the flooding of Abby's room.  Apparently someone thought it cool to put a running hose in her window well in the middle of the night.  The water ruined her new wood floor and part of the wall.  A demolition contractor was here assessing the damage today.
I am having less pain each day, but  am still struggling to eat because of swallowing difficulties. I have lost almost 10lbs, a positive side of not being able to eat much. ( :  I choke easily  and that is quite bothersome, especially because it keeps me from resting sometimes.  I am sure this will eventually heal as well, but it is something to pray about.
I talked to a nurse today, she told me that I am really fortunate to have had this surgery in time.  She told me that she takes care of a woman who is a quadriplegic because a disk in her neck disintegrated like the second disk they removed from my neck.  Unfortunately this woman did not get medical help soon enough. It caused me to really stop and be thankful!
Bruce is doing well and keeps busy with small service calls and such.  We are paying someone to help with the household chores, this relieves my mind a bit, I can't stand a dirty house.
Hannah is very busy planning a youth rally for this Sabbath.  About 100 youth plan to come from NY, NJ and MD.  They are renting a gym for activities later in the evening.  Many are sleeping over here and at other church family homes.
Hope you are staying warm on these cold November nights!

I returned home Sunday evening from Colorado.  We had a wonderful time at council and enjoyed everyone so very much.
I had cervical neck surgery Wed. 10/27.  The surgeon said the first disk was in pretty bad shape, but the second one was totally destroyed and if they hadn't done the surgery I would most certainly had a crisis.
I am healing at home now and am thankful for all your prayers as God's healing hand has certainly been upon me. The love shown me by all of God's dear ones has really helped me through this very rough time and I am very thankful!
I must wear a brace for 4-6 weeks and not move my head.  I find this to be quite a challenge.  I sleep (try to) in the lazy boy chair in our living room.  I have some trouble swallowing yet and find it easier sitting rather then laying.
Please continue to pray for full recovery and for patience on the part of my family as it is quite a load for them to handle my chores along with their workload.
Love to you in Christ.

I learned a lesson this week I thought I would share with you about patience.  As I had written before I had lost my patience after having camped in a very frigid van for 2 nights.  Being stiff and sore I was quite testy with Bruce.  I felt a mix of anger and hurt.  Even after all we had gotten to see and all the fun we had it only took a bit of discomfort for me to feel unloved.  It reminds me of the Hebrews as they came out of Egypt and were shown so much by the Almighty.
We took a very interesting trip on a train to Pikes Peak, but I still was feeling grouchy inside.  We had looked at the gift shop at the base of the mountain and I set my heart on a set of manufactured opal earrings.  I pulled Bruce inside to see this great find, but he was unconvinced of their $14 value and told me we could probably find them cheaper at Wal-Mart.  I was so disappointed and it just added to my self pity as I thought all sorts of hurtful things.  Human nature can be an ugly thing.
We made it to the top of the summit and I asked for some money to buy some world famous donuts they advertised.  Bruce gave me more then I needed, so I searched for a deal in the jewelery dept. there in the gift shop on top of the peak,  I found a bracelet that I liked for $2.99 and walked away feeling a little smug.
I confessed to him I had bought it, I can't keep anything from him or else I just feel guilty.  He didn't react in anyway, it hardly fazed him. I tried to give him the change and he insisted on me keeping it.
Later we walked the streets of a quaint shopping area.  My anger and hurt had left me by this time and I was simply enjoying the walk and looking in windows.
  After seeing many wonderful bracelets and after buying gifts for our children I saw a most beautiful bracelet, a real blue opal and amethyst studded  bracelet.  But the price tag was way more then I could ask of Bruce and I had learned by this point not to set my heart on anything.   But, to my surprise, he very happily bought it for me, without my begging or coercing. He was overjoyed to do it and it seemed to bring him great joy.
How much more the Lord's blessings upon us.  His call upon us to patiently endure hardship, sometimes causes us to feel distant, unloved and rejected.  Bruce obviously loves me more then anyone on earth.  Christ loves us much more.  How often are we  willing to settle for much less then what He plans to bless us with.  Do we run ahead  trying to do things on our own?
Isaiah 40:31 KJ But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.

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 Please pray for the NAMC (Ministerial Council) as it meets in Colorado Springs this week and that God's Holy Spirit will work through the men and women there, for His glorification and will.

Traveled and camped Wednesday through Friday in the mountains.  Bruce fished most of both days on the Platte  and the Arkansas Rivers.  He caught a number of brown trout, but we did not keep any.
Camping was a little rough, although the spots we camped in were beautiful.  Wednesday we camped by a lake and the sunset was beyond what words can describe or photos capture.  The one evening I had just boiled some eggs.  To our surprise a very large red fox smelled them and came into our camp and right up on to the picnic table while we sat only feet away at the camp fire.  He was beautiful but he started to come right over to us.  We both became frightened and Bruce scared him from our camp, where we could watch him at a safer distance.
I must admit to having lost a little of my patience by Friday morning.  I had a small fever over night ( Bruce could tell by touching me) and I was chilled the entire night and slept very little.  Bruce said the temperatures both nights were in the 20's.  My neck and back had become increasingly stiff from riding and sleeping in the cramped van bed. So we decided to do something different and went on a train ride up to Pikes Peak. Afterwards we walked and shopped the streets of Manitou Springs, a quaint tourist town.
We are not planning to camp anymore this trip and are staying at a hotel with a pool and hot tub.  Sleeping is much better and I am feeling much better!
We visited the Colorado Springs Church of God today and really enjoyed the service and the warm people.  We stayed till after 5PM and are now taking in some rest.

Yesterday (Oct. 11th) we searched out the chalk formations called Castle Rock in Kansas, yes, still in Kansas.  We had to drive on some very rough roads, gouged and rutted out by rain.  One time I was sure we were on a 45 degree angle, I had to sit behind Bruce to help keep us from tipping.  But we saw some awesome architect by God's hand!
We visited Cheyenne Bottoms, a lake and wetlands where many migrating birds take a rest. We saw many pelicans, cranes and red winged black birds.
We did finally arrive at Scott Lake and camped, it was not as creepy as I had remembered.  The green blue lake sits between rocky bluffs that turned amber, then scarlet and purple as the sun set behind us.  Just a beautiful pallet of colors painted by the Eternals hand!
The wind stilled as we headed into evening and Bruce built a warming fire and we sat again, gazing at the night sky and this small part of the universe we call home.
Today we entered Colorado after visiting a historical park where a horrible slaughter of Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians took place in 1864.  The day before we had also visited another site where the Cheyenne were ambushed and we walked in the cave where the Indian women and children hid to escape the blood shed.
It certainly is sad that the promises made to the Indians were not always kept.  Although some Indians slaughtered their share of pioneers and ranchers, the government treated them all as if they were savage and evil.
A lot of food for thought as we travel and take in natural and human history!

We left PA Thursday about noon, and really drove hard till Sabbath.
 We stayed Friday evening just east of Kansas City and really relaxed.  We took some time for reading and study and then headed for the National Grasslands.  We walked through the amber rolling grassy hills and then took in a bus tour with a ranger who really knew a lot about the prairie.  He showed us many different plants.  One plant was a gum weed, you rub the sticky sap of this aromatic plant into your hands as a balm.  We saw wild bison, small bird nests built into the grass and learned about prairie life, history and about how they have returned this prairie area back to it's original state.
 We then camped at a remote lake in the prairie.  It was primitive but beautiful.  The night sky was so awesome I cried.  One could easily see the milky way, Jupiter and numerous satellites trailing across  the sky.
Today we traveled slowly west only covering about 150 miles. We stopped outside of Great Bend, KS at Pawnee Rock, a historical out cropping. Many traveling the Santa Fe Trail stopped at this rocky bluff to take in the view and carved their names into the rock.  Bruce enjoyed this historical land mark, but I was really hurting from so much riding. So we stopped early to rest and recover.
Tomorrow we hope to head west again, we hope to make it to Scott State Park and Lake to camp tomorrow.  I remember this area to be a bit creepy. But Bruce is adventurous and determined.
I hope you are enjoying the beautiful fall weather too!

Celebration 2010

The Celebration week started Wed. evening with a meet and greet.  I had picked up Martha earlier that day, she accompanied me to physical therapy, earlier we stopped for a nice breakfast at Cracker Barrel and a craft shop in Spry.
Thursday services began at 1:30 with Joe Kirkpatrick giving a message about grace.  Many enjoyed an evening out to a local restaurant and good fellowship was had by all and at Bob and Beverly's home  in their beautiful spacious garden like yard later.
Friday evening we had a service by candle light and sang songs and read scripture from Rev. 1:5-8.  It shows the history, presence and future of Christ our Savoir and King.  Martha was able to lead with me and the congregation sang with all their hearts, it was a very moving service!
Sabbath morning we were able to sleep in a little as the worship service did not start until 3pm, with bible study before that at 1:30pm. Mike Joseph shared a visual, hands on, lesson with the children about God's holy kingdom.  Bruce gave the message about our temporal bodies and how we can look forward to the day when our permanent perfect bodies live with Christ eternally.   We spent the rest of the day fellowshipping and sharing a meal of soup and subs.
Sunday we met at the church to hear a very stirring message from Calvin Burrell on loving one another.  We then enjoyed a picnic, at a near by lake, and much more fellowship.
Monday we joined early(7AM) for a trip to Washington DC.  We rode the Metro subway into DC, and arrived in the mall area where we split up to see the various museums.  We took in an IMAX of the ocean only to have many tired ones take a $7 nap.  We met to return to the metro at 7-7:30pm, a very tired group.  Dinner was at 9pm at a Cracker Barrel (ready to close).  We arrive home around midnight exhausted.
Wayne Hrenyk had Bruce and I take him to Gettysburg, wed. morning and then we showed him around Harrisburg.  We shared dinner with about ten others at Olive Garden and then returned for services at 7pm.  Wayne spoke with a heavy heart about our need to reach our loved ones who still resist Christ.  He seemed to struggle to reach us but as he had us break up into groups later and pray, it was evident he had certainly hit a chord in our hearts as we implored the Lord for help in reaching the unsaved. Even the children, which I had the pleasure to pray with, were excited about praying for those they know who are not believers.
Thurday we closed out the celebration time with a sermon from Robert Wertz.  Bob's sermon built on Wayne's plea to reach our loved one for Christ as he shared his heavy heart over the loved ones he had  recently lost who did not know the Lord.  He took us to scriptures which beautifully show the awesome throne of God and then he said, " Now don't keep this to your self, share it!"
We then joined together for a meal,  as we recounted the weeks messages and happenings and we left with both joy( for what we had shared) and sadness(as we wished it were not over) and we went our own ways to live what we had learned.

Everyone is doing well and have all recovered from the cold bug.
Abby is in need of a car after being slammed in the rear while delivering an edible arrangement, her car was totaled but she is fine. God certainly can be thanked for his protection.
Bruce is continuing to do well, but has very little work. Daniel will soon be leaving to join Kelsi in TX., it is where he needs to be but it breaks my heart to see them both go.
Hannah just received employment at a head start program in Harrisburg.  She is really hating the idea of sending Josiah to a daycare.
Anna and Sarah seem to be adjusting to their new schools and doing well.
My mother was bit again by a Lymes caring insect and is back on an antibiotic, she has already gone through along bout with Lymes disease. Her body often reacts negatively to the antibiotics.  She could really use your prayers for a full and quick recovery.

What a weekend!  We had a very nice turn out for Trumpets service with CPA COG on Thursday.  However, I felt a bit wiped out from an incident Wednesday evening.  Josiah had caught a cold and I was to watch him while Hannah went to volley ball.  Not long after she left, Josiah seemed to look poorly.  I took him in to change his diaper and when I turned around to get a clean diaper he began to have breathing difficulty.  I picked him up, without the diaper on to see if an upright  position would help.  His eyes were now encircled with a blotchy sort of redness and his face looked quite pink.  He pushed at his nose and started to stuggle to breath. Then to my surprise he closed his eyes and went limp in my arms.  I was extremely upset, I screamed for Bruce as I ran the baby outside for fresh air.  As I ran through the living room Abby saw Josiah and immediately called 911.  When I got outside he slowly came out of his faint and began to look himself.  The paramedics checked him over and suggested we take him to Hershey Med. so we did and he was given an inhaler,we were told to suction his nose and use saline mist.  He is much better now. Still gets rash like blotches and is still congested, so Hannah is taking him to see Dr. Matsko today.
Friday was very busy as well, I am continuing physical therapy which takes quite a chunk out of my morning.  After therapy we had a graveside service for Bob Sumner.  It was a pleasant service until the beautiful box Bonnie made for Bob's ashes would not fit in the tiled hole in the mausoleum.  So a worker there cut it to make it fit.
Afterwards we rushed off for the Delaware Seashore and Chanda Stine's wedding.  We arrived in time to go to bed.  Saturday morning the kids and I went to the beach and to the spot where the wedding was to be held, while Bruce worked on his message for Sunday's memorial service.
We had some fun with the little ones, playing in the sand and swimming. Daniel and Johnny worked very hard at setting up and so when they would get a break they would play with Anna and Tristen in the water or on the sand.  I really enjoyed watching them!  By the time the wedding was to start the boys and Hannah, Kelsi and Kelly really worked hard to set up and then when it was all over, tear it all back down.  A park ranger had come by saying we couldn't set up on the beach till right before the start (which was supposed to be at 5pm) and that everyone must be out by 7:30pm sunset.  Well the wedding party didn't even arrive till almost 6:30.  But the day was blessed despite the troubles, everyone was beautiful, the decorations were outstanding and the food was top notch!
We all stayed and help clean up in a hurry, worrying the ranger would come by and grouch.  We were done by 10-10:30pm and headed back to our room, very tired.  On the drive back Bruce decided to not stay the night but head home immediately.  So we arrive back home about1-2AM.
The next morning flew by as we prepared for Bob Sumner's memorial service for 2pm. It turned out to be a beautiful service as we were able to see some dear ones we have not  seen in  a long time!  The blue grass band Ben Sumner asked to play for the service  were outstanding and everything went very well.  Ben's restaurant catered a very good meal afterwards and all went home by 6pm.  Boy were we ever exhausted, so we slept very well!
I hope your week ahead is one full of God's hands in the many things you do.

Many have colds here at the Chesney household.  Sam was told by Dr. Matsko that he has bronchitis and was given an antibiotic.  He was having trouble breathing, it scared me a little.  Anna seemed to have brought the virus home from school. It spreads fast and almost everyone, even Bruce, and little Josiah have it, except me, ...yet...thankfully!
I saw the second surgeon for the second time yesterday, he has scheduled surgery for the 27th of October, three days after I return from Colorado.  He wants to remove 2 dicks and fuse them with bone material and plate.  He said three should be done but the fusion would not work as well and he seemed to be thinking that down the road after these heal - of possibly doing the third.  He also said it will not relieve all the neck pain as there is much arthritis in the neck.
The blood test results for auto immune diseases (Anti-TPO) came back high.  The reference level should be below 35 and mine was above 300.   So the doc is sending me to an endocrinologist.  At least I am making some headway to finding why I am so plagued with illness and joint trouble.
Tomorrow is Trumpet services, looking forward to that, Martha plans to join us and the kids are to sing two songs. Then, Friday we are to help with Bob Sumner's graveside service and then we plan to head to Delaware from our nieces wedding on Saturday.  The we must be back home by 1PM Sunday for a long memorial service for Bob Sumner and a meal for family and friends.  So.... I hope we all feel well enough for all that is planned.  It is all in the Master's hands and all that we plan matters nothing if the Lord's will is not in it.
Love to you all!

Had a really nice hike down and then back up Rickett's Glen waterfalls today with Bruce and the kids.  We really enjoyed the hike down, but I seriously thought Bruce and I were not going to make it back up.  The kids went on ahead as Bruce slowed his pace for me.  But soon I thought he wasn't going to make it.  We both were lightheaded and exhausted from the climb.  The kid's said they would start the grill, back at the lake till we got there.  Well, Bruce and I took a wrong turn and added another mile or more to our climb back up to the parking lot.  The hamburgers were cooked and the kids were worried.  They were pulling the van out to look for us as we walked into the parking lot.
Over all it turned out to be really nice, but boy are we sore!

Harvested my grapes this week and made grape juice.  Enjoyed a great visit with my parents and Martha, Thursday.  Anna began school on Monday.  She was happy after school Monday, but after school on Tuesday she hated school and never wanted to go back.  A little girl told her she did a lousy job on a teddy bear creation Anna made.  At home we all praise Anna for her art work and this was quite a shock for her.  She is learning a bit about the real world and it's cruel honesty and insensitivity to other's feelings.
Bruce finished cancer treatments Thursday and he is doing great!  He will not know if he is cancer free for 6 months or more.
I still need to meet with an orthopedic surgeon Tuesday before I make a decision about cervical spine surgery.  I am scheduled to have two disks removed November 8th at Hershey Medical, Penn State hospital.  But I am still not sure this is the best thing for me, so I am consulting with a second surgeon.
I hope your Labor Day weekend is restful and full of family and friends!

Sarah has been adjusting to school in Michigan very well.  We hope to see her at the end of the month.  The week end was uneventful but very pleasant!  Spent some time Saturday night taking in a bluegrass gospel concert with Bruce.  I did not have as much pain this weekend and very thankful!
I hope your week is a good one!

Bruce is continuing to do well, thank the Lord!  Sarah seems to be enjoying Spring Vale and the teachers seem to be enjoying her, thankfully!  Samuel has been working at stripping some dining room chairs for me, I hope to restore them to a nice mahogany finish.  Hannah is doing well, she is losing a lot of her pregnancy weight and is looking beautiful!
Oh where do I start to tell you about this past week, though.  I sit here trying to cope with all the information I was given in the last few days.  So it is hard to convey all of it to you.
I went to the physical therapist Monday.  He said the MRI reports show a lot of arthritis in the neck. After examining me he said that I will never be pain free, the neck has deteriorated to much.  He did think it was wise to get a second opinion about surgery.  So I did today.  I really thought this doctor would say I did not need the fusion surgery.  But instead he said that the problem is worse then the MRI report states it is and that he was leaning towards doing three disc removals and fusion.  However he was a little worried the fusion of so many discs may make the neck weak.  He explained that the more discs that are fused the more chance there is of it not working. .  He also agreed with the surgeon at Hershey, saying that the surgery will help the radiating pain in the arms  but he can not get rid of the neck pain.
The other bit of disturbing information was that they strongly feel I have an auto immune disease that is attacking the joints. They said they are very concerned it is rheumatoid arthritis. I have many symptoms but the disease seems to not be effecting my toes and fingers which makes me think they may be wrong, lets hope!  I am to have some blood work done this coming week to help identify the problem.
I will continue with therapy and I just ask for prayer, for wisdom to make the best choice in treatment and surgery.
Hope your weekend is a blessed one full of God's love and compassion!
 

Bruce is still doing quite well and has only a week left of treatments! Yay!  Anna goes to first grade on Monday. She seems very excited and ready.  Sam enters 12th grade. Sarah is in 9th at spring Vale Academy in Michigan and Daniel and Kelsi leave for Texas tomorrow,  a lot of change all at once!
I visited the spine surgeon today, he plans to take two discs out and fuse them with bone graft and plate.  It appears to be a common procedure and they expect you to have a short recovery.  I must admit I am a little worried and am considering a second opinion. I show cyst on the nerves and bone spurs.  Also a thickening ligament shows on the MRI.. The large 12-14mm  tumour is another concern, at least it is not compressing the spinal cord but can be pinching nerve root sheaths. This type of tumor con make the vertebrate weak and vulnerable to fractures.
My lower back has greatly increased in pain.  Often this happens to the spine if there is a problem at one end it tries to correct it at the other end causing an s shaped spine.  But instead it is causing me more trouble. I have become so stiff at times I find it hard to get up from a sitting or lying position.  Walking is somewhat painful as is sittling or standing from any length of time.
Holding Josiah is such a joy but he is 17 lbs.  and I get painful muscle spasms and cramps when I hold the little bundle of joy for only short periods of time.  I have also gained about 10lbs. since the last cortisone shot and that has also caused more trouble.
I must admit I really need God's healing hand there is just to much of life to really live and much more work to be done for the kingdom, so sitting around just won't do.

It was a strange sort of day.  We started it by helping an elderly man find his wife and home.  He wondered up to the church this morning looking very lost and having a vacant sort of stare.  His face was gaunt and he looked like the grim reaper in jeans and plaid.  But as we tried to converse he began to look more human to me and it soon dawned on us that he must have Alzheimers and wondered from home, where ever home was!???
We tried to pull bits of information from him but not much made sense.  We asked him if he lived with anyone and he said yes, a lady. " Is she your friend', we asked?   He replied,"She's my wife"!
Well finally Bob was able to decode some of his ramblings, enough to get his name and, with the help of Dave Noll, looked  up the name in the phone book and called his home.  His worried wife answered and said she had the police searching for him for quite a while.  In minutes, almost seconds, there were 3 police cars and a very concerned wife in our parking lot!
The man looked a little worried that so many police cars pulled in, but they reassured him that he was okay and the reunited couple went home.
The rest of the day was pleasant, enjoying lots of good fellowship both in Harrisburg and in the Poconos.
I hope your week is a pleasant one full of the Lord's will for you!

Came home at 6:30AM from sleep study.  Had a terrible night sleep, although I was plenty exhausted. But considering all the wires and then they gauzed my entire head and neck, what do they expect.  I fell asleep okay but awoke at 2AM with head and neck pain and couldn't get back to sleep. Finally the tech came in a about 3:30 and asked if I would take a sleeping pill.  I did but they awaken me, as is their policy, at 5:30AM to shower and become unglued from wires.
So I drove home from Lancaster(approx. 45min drive) in a fog to say the least, don't remember much.  I climbed back in bed with my dear snuggly husband and then I slept.  I could not get up to do the children's class   I felt froze to the bed, nothing would move.  So dear Hannah took the class impromptu, and with a cheerful spirit too!  I zonked out for another hour and a half. Then forced my body to respond, I felt drunk, couldn't walk straight or speak quite clear.  It had really done a number on me! But the power point presentation needed to be finished and run sooo..... I drank some coffee and some how managed to get through a great worship service and then potluck too,  The ladies are so kind, they help out so well, I feel loved by them all so very much!

Learned that Bob Sumner passed away after a long bout with cancer,  he really suffered a lot at the end but Becky and her Mom and sons were there for support through it all and he  is now out of pain and agony.

Went to visit Bill Moser, what a joy it was to see him chipper and up and walking.  His son David was there and so we enjoyed some great conversation, mixed with quite a bit of good humor!

Headed back to the ranch and found the house was full of kids/young adults, Bruce and I just headed back for a much needed nap.  Later the youth from COG CPA came over to practice music, we had a nice visit.  Then Bruce and I  ran out and got some wings and snacks and drinks and at Anna's insistence we had a family game night.
We played "Would you rather" .  It was quite funny!  But it is well past midnight and Bruce and I need to crash.  Need energy to tear out the basement carpet, remove furniture and such.  Real fun! Bonding
  *Maybe for dogs who love to rip and tear some stinky wet carpet!
Hope your week is eventful because beautiful things were experienced and genuine love was shown to you.

Great news, Sarah's bones in her right hand are not broken. She should make it to Spring Vale almost on time, but not for a visit with Joanna.

Today was a real trial.   .After going to sleep a little after midnight  I awoke at 3AM probably from being troubled in my soul.  Went back to bed at 5:30AM to be awoke at 6 by an angry Bruce.  He said the basement was flooded and he thought it had to do with the kiddie pool, although we had storms yesterday with heavy down pours and through the night the rain continued.  The cause will never be clear.
Samuel said he came down to his room in the night and saw the water running down his wall, onto his bed, from the window.  But he said he just came upstairs to sleep then. He said he was too tired to say anything to us.  ????????
 So I got up and started clearing the flooded rooms.  As I was moving the things from one room to the next I dropped a heavy piece of counter top on my foot, causing ..... well you know..Pain!

Sarah hadn't returned home from a concert last night so in the midst of the mayhem I finally tracked her down at a friends home and picked her up and returned her to her...bed.
Continued through the afternoon to shop vac the water out, still we seem to be no drier.

Later the doctor's office called asking that I do the sleep study tonight. So with little time, I will say ado and finish my work before the Sabbath begins.

Hope everyones Sabbath is a blessed and peaceful one!

Sarah was hoping to go to Joanna's house before classes started at Spring Vale.  But I am not sure that will happen now.  She hit her door in anger, thankfully it wasn't me, with her fist.  Took her to the ER and had an X-ray of it.  they found no fracture but still splinted it and ask us to see an orthopedic.  We were to leave Friday, but this appointment is Friday afternoon.  So we have hopes of sending her with Darlene Wiedenheft on Thursday.
Abby made it safely to the Keys and is staying on a house boat.  She has plans for a snorkeling trip, glass bottom boat and a day of scuba as well.  I think they are planning some kayaking also. And some good R&R will fit in there I am sure!
Kelsi went to TX to interview for a college/work program.  She may be able to get her tuition paid for her masters degree in speech therapy.  The sad part would be that it would require her and Daniel to move to TX for at least 2 yrs. But it is a super cool opportunity for them.
Bruce is coming to the end of this larger job and he is concerned about needing to lay some of his men off.  We really hoped more contracts would be excepted but it just is not happening.
I am to get a bone density test today,  MRI next Wed. , a sleep study next Sat. and see the surgeon again the following Wed.
Please pray for my Indian friends they are suffering from many things, including health issues.  I am finding it harder then ever to help.
Please be encouraged for the one who started this good work in you will also complete it! AMEN!

Bruce is continuing to do well, although I need  to help him with diet as he must stay away from things that cause acid or digestive trouble.  He is already a little hard to cook for so this is an extra challenge.  He doesn't complain much, I just need to read his face.  ( :
Sarah is still hoping for more  sponsorship for SVA.  She still owes 3500.00 for this year.  I am not supposed to to drive that far, so I am not going to be able to help drive her.
I have some encouraging news.  The tumor on my spine does not appear to be malignant although they are not sure, but I am confident and encouraged! It is supposedly a tumor which is hard to operate on and if they do remove them they usually use radiation treatments to ensure it does not grow back, because they often do.  The tumor could be the cause of my symptoms but apparently the surgeon wants to try the fusion first.   The surgeon consultation was today, he wants to do an anterior cervical fusion, meaning they enter from the front of the neck.  Another MRI was ordered to determine if the spine became worse since April.  If it is the procedure may be more complicated.
We need to remember that trials are apart of growing and that if life had no complications there would be no refining of the soul.

Bruce is past his half way mark for radiation treatments and is doing remarkably well, thank you for your prayers on his behalf.
Sarah is planning to attend Spring Vale and we are very thankful for those who have offered to help her attend!
Had a great day! Finished a lot of yard work early in the morning and then headed for Pine Grove Lake for a swim.  Saw lots of fish and snorkeled with Anna, she is such a fish herself!  Dove deep into the deep green water, 30 feet is the depth, we never make it to the bottom, but the sight is awesome as the sunshines down through the water in dispersed rays.  You feel as though you are flying in the sky and the coolness grows the deeper you go as you get closer to the opening of the springs. The fish seem to be as curious about us as we are of them. I teased Sarah that her florescent polish would attract the fish and sure enough it did. They would just stare at her toes and wiggling them made them even more intrigued. I also love laying on my back out past the crowds in the very deep cool water, looking upwards into the sky, pretending I am flying.
However the days activities did a number on my neck and hip so tonight I pay, feeling exhausted , but unable to sleep due to severe pain. The radiating pain in my left shoulder and arm are the worse and the left hip also is radiating pain down the leg. I found out yesterday that I have a large tumor on the spine just below the neck.  It may be the reason for the spinal compression and the arm pain. The Lord must want me to be very excited about the world to come where there is no more tears or pain! ( :

I really would rather tell you more about the beautiful time we spent in the mountains and at the lake but I promised to give you an up date, so here it is.
I went to the pain specialist at Hershey Medical Center today and they have referred me to an orthopedic surgeon.  I asked if an out patient procedure could be done.  After looking at my MRI report she said that my neck problem is to complicated for that and will require more invasive surgery.  I thought that perhaps even radio frequency ablation would help, but she explained that it works for arthritis but not for herniations or compressed spinal cords. She said this orthopedic doctor is very conservative and will not do surgery if he feels it will not help or may be to complicated.  Cervical stenosis is serious enough, if left go, it can cause serious problems, such as loss of bowl or bladder control and motor weakness and gait disturbance or paralysis.  So, as you can imagine, I am a little concerned.  She said that the physical therapy was good for the muscles, strengthening and stretching, but it did not change the compression problem.
Martha had a bit of an emergency yesterday as she fell into her stream and cut her big toe badly.  She waited to long to get stitches and was given a tetanus shot and antibiotics.  She is upset because it will ruin her summertime swimming.  But I bet it won't keep her down to long, knowing her love for aqua!

Life here has been revolving around Josiah, for the most part.  He is growing in leaps and bounds both in physical size and in his skill and ability.  He will be 4 months old Aug 6th.  He is already scooting around our kitchen in his walker, although he goes backwards.
Bruce is doing well, work is slowing and that is probably a blessing, although I worry that he is a little discouraged about it.  He just hired a man from Chicago with a family of 10 children.  He and his wife are in the church and he was in need of work.  I have grown to really enjoy their children, they are very respectful and attentive in class at church.  Bruce's worry is that he will not have enough work to keep his hired men working through the next months.  This is an added burden we don't need.  We ask for your prayers in this matter.
Sarah hopes to start at Spring Vale Academy in Michigan in two weeks.  She is hoping to get enough people to sponsor her.  The tuition is now more then $9000.00 a year.
I graduated from physical therapy for my neck, but notice nerve problems coming back, that is a little discouraging. I am to see the doctor tomorrow.
We hope for cooler temps, but may have to wait a few more weeks till it cools, although this weekend was a nice break from the hot humid weather we have been enduring.
I hope all of you are healthy and able to enjoy this summer! God's blessings too you all.

Hope your week is going well!  Our is so far, especially since I have my (Betsy) car back!  I am thankful that we were taken to a reasonable mechanic who seems to have done a great job, he even fixed the air conditioning! What a blessing that is on these hot days!
Bruce is still doing very well with his treatments, praise God!  Thank you for your prayers on his behalf.
I tried to talk my physical therapist into discharging me this week, I almost had him convinced until he did an evaluation and found some very weak muscles in my back.  Looks like it may be a while. I just don't like the amount of time it takes out of my day and week.  It usually runs over an hour a day and at least 3 days a week. But if it saves me from neck surgery it is worth it!
I have had the blessing of watching our grandson Josiah the past three days,only a couple of hours at a time.  He is a real sweetheart!  of course every parent and grandparent probably feel this way about their babies!
On a sadder note, our uncle Charley Steele past away this morning after a long bout with cancer.  We just saw him at our family reunion about a month ago and he seemed much better, so it surprised me to hear of his passing this morning.  He was my favorite uncle, always up beat even through some really hard times and he really showed a Christian attitude throughout his life. Prayers for his wife Dorthy are greatly appreciated,as they were extremely close.  They even went hunting together every year till just recently. He recently surprised her on their anniversary by landing in a hot air balloon and then taking her for a ride and picnic.  He will be greatly missed!

Week of ups and downs

Wow our week certainly was full of highs and lows!  We started Sunday by taking the camper up to Pine Grove State Park near Shippensburg PA. The park is set in a mountainous area right on the Appalachian trail.  It has two lakes, Laural and Fuller.  Fuller is our favorite, it has very clear blue-green water and the swimming area goes to 30 feet in depth.  It is a super place for mask and fins, with lots of fish to gaze at and inspect. The beach sports some very soft white sand. The first part of the week was very peaceful.  Anna and I were the only ones there till Wednesday when Martha came.
Anna found friends every day and spent hours trying to net fish, which I told her I would make into sardines if she caught enough.  But she caught none the whole week although she didn't lack effort.  She also built sand mansions and lakes of her own, all the while wearing her diving mask on her forehead, so that when she got hot the mask would be ready to slip down over her face and she could go exploring the lake's aquatic life.
This contentedness on her part gave me plenty of time to read or swim or just sit and gaze at the beauty of it all!
Bruce had decided to eat dinner and sleep at the camper only a few of the nights we were there because of his early morning treatments, I began to regret having asked him to take us to the lake, I could tell it was exhausting him,the drive was about an hour to the lake.
Wednesday is when things began to go poorly.  I knew Bruce had come  to the campground that afternoon, but he never joined us for a swim.  By the way there  is no phone service unless you stand at just the right spot on the beach, so I couldn't call him.  Leaving Martha to watch Anna at the lake, I drove up to the camper, where I had found Bruce, he had falled a sleep and had just awoke. So I convinced him he needed a relaxing swim and down we went to the lake. It was as I walked out to the beach that I made a critical mistake. I needed to use the rest room and while doing so I laid my I Phone on the toilet paper holder.  But with much on my mind I walked back out forgetting the phone.
It was about 7:00PM and there were only a few people at the beach, but in that very small group, there obviously was a thief.   I realized what I had done within 10-15 minutes, and ran as fast as these legs could take me back to the bathroom only to have my hopes dashed.  Someone had taken it. The phone that had all my contacts, medical appointments,our family pictures and our favorite music gone. Just like that gone.  What an imbisole I was to be so irrespondsible with such a costly item.  I  enquired at the life gaurd station and park office, they all greated me with smiles that turned grave as they realized the hopelessness of the situation.  Wow, talk about a high and wonderful feeling being smashed as if hit in the gut.
Well I tried to cheer myself up with all the things that had bothered me about that phone and encourged myself that perhaps it was one of those things we come to depend to much upon and perhaps enjoy to much, after all I had so much of my favorite music downloaded to it.
Thursday Martha and I took Anna back down to the beach and enjoyed another beautiful day, however bitter sweet, doing the same things.  Martha would put on her fins and mask, I too, and we would explore the deep waters, while Anna played contentedly finding many children to build castles with.
We were however looking at people in a more suspicous way now and a good bit of our joy was gone.
Thursday evening we prepared cornish hens with a lemon pepper sauce, mashed potatos, stuffing, gravy,corn and an applecrumb pie. Perhaps I decided on crumbs because that was just what I felt like, a real crumb bum.  In retrospect I was probably trying to say, with food, please forgive me Bruce, but he was to tired to get the message, and I know he loves me regardless of my problems, but I feel so  rotten for being so careless with my phone. 
The next day started out quite strange. I needed to run back to Harrisburg for physical therapy, Not wanting to wake Martha I woke the girls and off we went. The airconditioner stopped working in the car  so we were using the windows for cool air, as we drove Sarah began telling about a dream she had which seemed quite real to her. She dreamed that Anna  was pouring a bottle of water down on her from the top bunk. When she woke her shirt was wet but not her pants.   Well...later that evening as Anna is guzzling a bottle of water down, Sarah reminds her to not drink to much or she might wet the bed. Anna replied with "Well actually...." Then you know it's coming.Your belly is going to be wrenched with laughter. And sure enough it was, for what she explained was that she indeed did wet the top buck, the night before, and in the middle of the night was discarding drenched laundry off the bed not realizing they were not hitting their destination on the floor but instead the wet cloths were landing on an innocently dreaming Sarah, oh my!
Well back to the beginning of the day. I went to therapy where they attached me to an odd traction machine.  The controls or position wasn't right and it began to bruise the base of the skull, after much endurance and hoping it would get better,the headaches started and so I had the machine stopped.  Whew what a relief!
Back at the house Hannah offered to take Anna shopping and bring here out to Pine Grove Park to have some fun to.
So Sarah and I took off back to the park, all the while I am worried about Martha being there all alone. So we picked up milk and some Taco bell to take back and share. But as fate would have it we made it about 45minutes down the interstate, when my car died.  No warning, not even a clutching of it's chest, not a cough or fever. So we drifted thanks to momentum,  off an exit ramp near Carlise.  But there we sat in the exit lane and Betsy (the name I give to my cars) was not able to move another inch. Cars were blowing their horns, impatient tractor trailers were pushing their way through narrowly missing us.  Finally a young man offered to push us to the berm of the road.  And since I no longer have a cellphone he allowed me to call AAA on his very nice, well taken care of,  I Phone( more salt in my wound).  They told me a truck would be out in no more then 15 minutes. But it took at least a half an hour and Sarah and I thought we may pass out in the heat, we started to feel very flushed and  nauseated. I envisioned them finding two withered skeletons sitting in the front seat of this now oven like Ford Escort. We had no shade and we couldn't leave the car in case the tow truck would come he would need us there.  We really did begin to feel light headed and I began to wonder what to do, I  was sure it couldn't take a minute longer.  Finally the tow truck arrive and very efficiently load Betsy onto her gurney. And we took her to the auto doctor.  There we found that her timing belt had broke, it will takeover $300.  for the part and he can't start till Monday.  The gentleman at the office allowed us a phone call, wisely I called Hannah who was fairly close by this time, so Sarah and I walked, carrying our jug  of milk and somewhat stale tacos, towards the highway exit. We were so thankful to see her!!
We headed  for  the park, where I knew Martha had to be patiently pacing the camper floor and feeling quite concerned, to put it mildly! Apparently she had a bit of stress herself, as a two campers pulled in, one on  either side of ours and  apparently the families  were related.  The people were none to happy that our camper rested between the two and were waving there arms in frustration about our camper being in the midst. The park had just added our site to the park's campground and it wasn't yet on the camp map.  So between being worried to death about what had happened to us ( as many hours had past) Martha also feared she may have to get out the bear spray to defend our camp spot from the irate campers.   So when we returned I wondered why  a bunch of kids were giving us the evil eye.
As we went inside to contemplate our next move we ran into continuous obstacles.  Hannah realized she forgot her diapers, we tried the camp store to no avail. When we returned it had down poured so hard we now had a nice size lake at our door step.  We thought and thought how we could make things work.  Hannah could stay if we found diapers and then all ride to church in the morning.  We could skip church and get a much needed break; via phone Bruce nixed that quickly and firmly.  But then the deciding factor came as Martha ran some water in the sink and it barely trickled.  I went back to check the tanks and sure enough the water tank was empty, and the black water full.  Not god news.
So we (all 6 of us) packed in Hannah's little cobalt, like the sardines Anna hoped she'd catch.  And headed home hoping we were not stopped for stacking two of the kids into one seat belt.  We traveled only a few miles when the low fuel light lit and dinged.  We were quite a ways from any gas station but the Lord was with us all day and  he wasn't going to leave us now.  We made it to the gas station and home safely.  Praise the Lord. For He is good all the time!!!!!!  Bruce took our weary group to Friendly's for dinner at about 8PM, the food was great, but, many of us felt like we could fall asleep right there, forget about eating,wow,what an exhausting day!
I hope your Sabbath is restful and full of God's will for you!

Bruce is on the 4th day of his radiation treatments and is doing well.  He is a little frustrated because the machine continues to have some malfunctions that are time consuming and what should only take 15 minutes some times is an hour or more.
Bruce hired a member of the Chicago  church to help with his plumbing business.  His name is Mike and the family has a total of 10 children some foster.  But this makes for a very nice group of children for church!
I am continuing physical therapy for the neck and had an epidural injection two days ago but still have referred pain.

We had a beautiful weekend, with lots of good worship and super messages. Then the food and fellowship which followed was filled with more blessings. A game of Jeopardy Sat. evening was lots of fun as well.
I have come down with quite a cold, finding it hard to sleep, so I am taking this time to blog.

I entered Anna for first grade at the elementary school 2 blocks away. She was showing signs of dyslexia. I have tried to help but have little knowledge about this learning disorder.
I have been praying about this decision, and am hoping it will be the best choice for Anna at this time.
Bruce seems to be doing better after working day and night work,and working hard as well at church all weekend.

Bible Jeopardy Fun!

I had some nice down time with the girls and Josiah at the pool. With the weather turning quite hot ,I hope you Memorial Day is filled with good,cool memories!

Bruce is 3 days from having the gold seeds inserted and is to take antibiotics in case of infection.Bruce has been workIng day work and night work. We also have a long weekend ahead with services both days and lots of dear people attending, I am just hoping Bruce gets the rest he needs. Please continue to pray for him, your prayers are really appreciated!
Hope your Pentecost weekend is filled with a close fellowship with the Lord and His people.

We had a wonderful weekend camping. Our children came almost every day. We have played board games,volleyball and fished.
Please continue to pray for Bruce as has the gold seeds inserted Thursday, to begine radiation therapy.
Love to you all,
Chesneys

What a wonderful Mother's Day weekend! We took our maiden voyage with the camper, to Pinchot State Park for 4 days. Martha joined us, and the children, who drive, visited almost every day. We had great campfire time and some good volleyball games. Some did a bit of fishing and hiking as well. Martha's son Johnny and wife Kelly, along with their son Tristan, visited one day and we all enjoyed some guitar music by the boys. It really was a sweet time together!
Bruce is to start cancer treatment on the 20th of this month(May). He will need 5 radiation treatments a week. We have canceled our summer trip to the Wisconsin Dells. We will either plan short trips or plan a trip at a time when he is not doing treatments.
I am doing better, bladder treatments are finished, I am thankful for that. I did get a displaced fracture in my foot and am dealing with trying to let it heal. It is hard for me to slow down! ( :
Bill Moser is increasing in strength and we are certainly thankful for his recovery.
The Lord is good all the time,("He is the God of the mountain and God of the valley")and how blessed are we to have Him as our Savior!

Good news! Bill Moser is doing incredibley better! After a night of great worry he turned the corner and has improved greatly. No longer does he need a breathing tube or feeding tube. And he even has a sense of humor! He has a long road of recovery but we are hopeful.
Bruce's scans came back with clear, the cancer has not spread! So he plans to do radiation treatment starting this week.
We are planning to go camping with the family this weekend, and looking forward to trying out the camper.
Hope your weekend is super, whether you are a mother or not!

Hello dear ones. What beautiful weather we have been enjoying. Bruce and Robert Wertz are at the pastor's retreat in western PA. Bruce said he was fishing this afternoon and really enjoying some time off!
We have not heard anymore about Bill Moser. The doctors said they would like to meet, with the family and such, on Monday to discuss his condition. Perhaps we will know more then.
Hope your Sabbath is refreshingly restful in the Lord.

Bruce had a bone scan and CAT scan today, so he is glowing a little green. He will not know the results of these tests until next Friday. The purpose of these test are to
see if the cancer has spread. Your prayers are still needed on his behalf and for sound decision as to the best treatment.
Bill Moser is not doing as well as we had hoped. He is still on a breathing tube and responded very little today. They believe the staph infection has spread to his heart. Please remember him as well.
I had a test today for kidney reflux, it was negative. They now plan to do a ct scan to see why the kidney is swollen. I am still receiving catheter treatments 3 times a week. But I have stopped physical therapy for awhile. Having so many appointments has become over whelming and I am not keeping up with Anna's needs.
We are having some heavy stress here at home as our adult children are going through some trials which effect the rest of the family.
The Lord says he will not give you more then you can bare. But I find myself wanting to run away to often and must constantly remember we are called to be brave and bold while also being gentle and kind. So while the camper and peaceful state parks beckon to my heart and mind, I must constantly remind myself that God did not call us to an easy life.
Grace and peace to you all, in Christ.

Please add Bill Moser to your prayer list. He is fighting a blood infection and is in the IC unit here at Harrisburg Hospital. He is currently on a breathing machine.

I am feeling better and appreciate your prayers. I had migraines for for almost a week and kidney/flank pain from swelling. The catheter treatment yesterday really helped and physical therapy is also very beneficial. Both problems are somewhat better and I felt more like myself today.
Martha and her friend have started a video series on "Boundaries", I have joined them and find the lessons useful in my dealing with our children. Children will draw every bit of energy from you,if you allow it. Ex: Anna told Hannah that she wasn't going to clean her room because Mommy would eventually. So while she is grounded,till it is clean, she makes it messier and messier, thinking I will give up and clean it myself.
The family councelor I see has been drilling me with the same instructions week after week. He wants the children to take a more active role with the household chores,also he emphises that they need to be respondsible for their things and messes. Anna had gone with me this time. On the way home she was very quiet, when all of the sudden she stated,"Mommy, you shouldn't talk to that pastor anymore". I asked her why, she replied," because he is going to make you mean". She thought that if I took his advice it would make me mean. Instead, I believe being firm will make mommy and daddy less irritated.
This may seem like quite simple advice, but when you are within the storm the rain can blind you. I was just trying to get by, so I ignored a lot of pathetic behaviour.
Hopefully, working along side Bruce, we can get back to what we know is right, and gain more respect with our children as we do so. Peace comes from order and respect for one another.
If you have any good parenting advice, please post it here to share with us and others who read. Love in Christ, Mary

It has been quite a while since I posted. Our family is growing and changing. Samuel is looking more seriously at his future, Sarah is hoping to go to Spring Vale this coming fall and Abby is so busy with 3 jobs we barely see her.
Bruce has finally made an appointment to pursue treatment. He seems to feel better about some of the options for prostate cancer. He is looking for the least evasive, and least amount of recovery time.
I am receiving bladder infusions through a catheter 3 times a week because of IC, loss of the urinary tract lining. The left kidney is swollen and causes a lot of pain as it presses on my ribs. Hershey Medical's dept.of urology has me scheduled,in 2 weeks, for a test to see if I have kidney reflux. It would explain the distended kidney. The doctor there feels fairly sure that is the reason and told me they will most likely do a procedure to correct a valve.
Physical therapy for the head and neck injury also is a three times a week appointment that I really will be glad to be done with. there is just to much gardening and summer/spring stuff to be doing. Going to appointments is not my idea of spring time fun. ( :
I have the camper well stocked and am excited about taking it for some outings! Bruce is finally getting more work,so I am not sure if there will be time.
The health problems that I have been going through have caused me to face my mortality. Perhaps God allows such times in our lives to help us get a better perspective and to change our focus back on Him! I hope your Sabbath is full of those things the Savior wants to share with you!

Thank you once again for your prayers! The head aches are not as intense and that is a big plus! March and April are busy months as we remember Our Lord's wonderful sacrifice on our behalf!

Thank you for your prayers on my behalf. I wish I could say I am better. The headaches continue and have caused continuous nausea. The physical therapy will probably help eventually, but for the moment they have aggravated the pain. The therapist said to not look down at all and to support the head whenever sitting. He also told me not to swim even on my back, I thought that it would be good exercise,but he said it would still strain the neck to much. He is asking very little from me, but it takes only a little movement to fire up the pain. The x-ray results showed trouble in 4 vertebrate in the neck and now the doctor asked me to see a neurologist. The therapist said the center of the injury is located where the skull meets the neck bones.
But I know I am not alone, so many loved ones seem to be having pain right now. Back issues, migraines and serious body pain are some of the problems other dear ones are suffering from.
Bruce has been terrific and very helpful. He is a real blessing to me and keeps me smiling!
Love to you all in the Lord!

Just a note for prayer on my behalf. I fell in Mexico and hit my head on a marble tiled floor. Immediately my neck hurt. the doctor at the resort gave me some strong medicine and said I should be better in 3 days. Well to make a long story short, it is now almost 2 weeks and it is worse. A CAT scan showed no active bleeding thankfully, but our doc sent me to the ER last night because the pain in my head and neck was extreme. They treated me with some very strong IV pain and nausea meds. I am home now trying to rest, with neck brace for support. I am feeling somewhat better but am on a lot of medication.

Hope everyone has a restful Sabbath, love to you all in Christ.

Celebrating 25 years of love and commitment!

I haven't written for a while for several reasons. The first being that my laptop was broke and Glen Skinner fixed it for me, thank you Glen! The second was lack of energy and time.
I do want to share with you some of our wonderful time away and the many blessings we received along the way. I can only touch on a few. There were so many I would bore you with all that excited us.
We started our trip with a week in Houston at Lake Conroe. We stay in the condos where Daniel and Kelsi were married. Daniel and Kelsi stayed with us there and Kelsi and I prepared dinner almost every day. Some dinners included Kelsi's family, some included her parents and Bruce's sister Marsha and brother in-law Mike. One evening Dennis and Kathy took us to a beautiful place for dinner along the lake and by a colorfully lit pier. There they have a McDonalds, Taco Bell and several other restaurants for boaters to pull up to. Marsha took us to a Japanese steak house and Anna really enjoyed the show as her food was being cooked infront of her!
Kelsi bravely drove Anna and I to Houston's aquarium on a warmer day. It was great fun and very beautiful! Anna was terrified to go on the train ride through the glass shark tunnel, but after going through she loved it and went again!
Daniel and Bruce worked most of the week, mainly at John and June Crisp's home. They loved working there because John cooks very well and fed them great lunches!
On Sabbath we visited the Conroe Church of God Seventh Day and Bruce spoke. The real name of the town is Cut and Shoot or Cut N Shoot(depending on who you talk to), but they use Conroe instead for the name of the church. A man who fought Floyd Patterson for the world heavy weight championship boxing title in the 60's attends there, Roy Harris is his name, he is now a lawyer. It was great fun to hear about some of his experiences!
Tuesday we left for Cancun. Apple Vacation agency had arranged everything for this trip and they were very helpful!
On the hour and half ride to the resort we began to see more and more military police with machine guns along the road and then our van was stopped twice for a security check. We finally found out that this was not normal and that the reason for all the security was because Mexico's president was staying at one of the resorts close to where we were going.
When we arrived at the hotel a gentleman helped me out of the van and said, "Welcome to paradise!" I thought I had arrived at "Fantasy Island" for a moment! ( : I expected to here someone say, "Da plane, da plane!!!"
But as we enjoyed the week I had to agree it really was a special kind of paradise, one to visit many times over, but not a place to live.
We took 3 days of excursions. Thursday we did the Mayan Adventure, snorkeling in a cave, then down a fresh water river that meets the ocean. There we swam using fins, we swam a mile all total, seeing beautiful tropical fish and then sea turtles, it is very hard to express how beautiful it all was! The knowledgeable guide then drove us to a cenote (a fresh water sink hole). The Yucatan's surface is made of a swiss cheese like limestone. There are no above ground rivers, only underground rivers, the rain just filters down through the limestone. At some places the surface gives way creating a sink hole or opening to an underground river or cave. These rivers are very clear and blue. This one had many tropical fresh water fish. After we were finished snorkeling at this beautiful spot we were taken to a hut close by and served a small traditional buffet. We noticed little patches of corn growing amongst the jungle like vegetation. The we saw why, nearby was a stick hut where a family lives who must help with the care of the place. A grubby little boy looked curiously out the door at us and then smiled shyly, I wanted to hug him!
The Second outing on Friday was to be a four hour, deep sea fishing trip. When we arrived we were coupled with four other people. The one man from this group of four was irate that his group did not have the boat to themselves, causing us to feel embarrassed and unwanted on the boat. He insisted on troll fishing for the entire four hours, even though the boat's mates told him it was not the season for marlin or swordfish. I took a nice nap in the cabin, thinking about Jesus sleeping in the bottom of the boat. But I felt terrible for Bruce who had not touched a rod the entire time, and sat staring at the water as we coasted up and down the shoreline.
When we returned to the marina I insisted we go back to the charter office and tell them what happened, Bruce agreed. The office coordinator already had heard about our problem and asked if they could make it up to us by taking us out on a private boat for 3 hours of bottom fishing. We grabbed some lunch and caught a different boat for another try at fishing. This time we had a super time! We caught 8 fish total, including strawberry groupers(a beautiful orange and red spotted fish), a tuna and other varieties of tropical fish, I did not know the name for. I also caught some fan coral, and the captain's mate insisted I keep it. We gave the fish to the captain and his mates. They had treated us very well and we were sure their families could use them. They had stayed out till sunset, apologizing that we didn't catch as many as they hoped to. We were thrilled with this fishing trip anyways and felt very blessed!
Sabbath we visited the ruins at Chichen Itza(a Mayan civilization), and swam in a beautiful sink hole. The water was 100 feet down and then 80 feet deep. I really enjoyed diving (not from 100 feet up though) into this crystal clear blue water. I lay on my back and swim across taking in the breathtaking view of tree roots dropping from up high and small water falls here and there pouring in from springs in the walls of this dream like swimming hole.
The other days we spent at the resort snorkeling at the beach, there were plenty of coral to explore and I loved just staying very still and watch the habits of the very colorful fish. Some of my favorites were the blue tangs and colorful parrot fish. If you stood still schools of fish would swim all around you.
We also explored the marina, where we saw several manatees and dolphins. Some time was spent just relaxing on the beach. Bruce read several novels, mostly westerns.
We were given coupons for spa treatments, so I had one the first day and one the last day we were there.
There were 5 restaurants on the resort to choose from, some inside and some outside. All had excellent food, served artistically. Bruce did not like the steak, but I eat fish and chicken, so it did not bother me. He found plenty of other entrees he liked and was very happy as well with the food.
We returned to Texas Tuesday evening to a very happy Anna. We snuggled all evening as we shared stories. Kelsi had taken Anna to the zoo and several other very interesting places. Anna also spent a lot of time at Kelsi's family property watching over some new puppies and playing with Kelsi's 4 year old nephew.
We stayed with Kelsi's grandparents and had a great visit.
We returned to PA Thursday, March 4th. It was sweet to see all our dear brothers and sisters on Sabbath, but now it is time to get back to work!
We had a wonderful time, and I would like to say it cured me of my health problems, but I still shake when I am tired, if I am hot or if I don't get sleep or am stressed.
So I start out my first week back with appointments every day this week for test on nerves and muscles, 2 MRIs and several other tests including more blood work.
I do have a different perspective now though and a stronger determination to find order and contentment in our household. It is always good to take a step back, for a while, from your routine, it gives you a fresh look at the world around you. I am extremely thankful to the Lord for the wonders He has shown us and hope to not soon forget what we have learned.

Just a quick note. Life has been going at a high pace here. Sarah was tripped at school and so we were in the emergency room late one night this week. They were so packed there were no chairs to sit on and everything was being done in the hallways for lack of beds. The good news is that she did not break her ankle.
The snow, however fun, has started to become wearisome and has required a lot of teamwork outside to get it all cleared. But we didn't get nearly as much as our family south of us did.
We are very excited about our trip to Texas and south, as you can imagine. I am hoping the weather will warm up a little more, Bruce's sisters in Dallas had 10 inches of snow yesterday.
I am still having periods of muscle weakness and trembling in my hands and legs. I am supposed to have a bunch of tests (more bloodwork, MRI, EMG etc.) when we return. Perhaps the sunshine and rest will cure me and I won't need anymore tests!
I certainly hope you are all warm and safe. Good Sabbath.

Hope you are all staying warm on this snowy weekend. Get some rest and please be careful not to over exert yourself shoveling snow. Good Sabbath, love from all the Chesneys

Well Bruce surprised me with a wonderful gift for our 25th anniversary! We were planning to go to Houston, there is some work Kelsi's dad wanted Bruce to do and their church wanted him to speak. We contimplated taking our camper down and the going to Florida from there to visit my niece and her husband. They live near the Gulf coast. But driving it all would be some what grueling. So yesterday we went to AAA and they found us an all inclusive( flight, hotel, food, fees etc ) for a great price! The flight to Houston is mostly being paid for by the church. But we decided to take Anna to Houston and Daniel and Kelsi will watch her while we go to a beach resort about an hour from Cancun

I addded some photos of the girls and Bruce playing around at the PA State Farm Show. We had fun watching the chariot obstical races and seeing all the cool displays. I also added some pictures of the children at church, we seem to have a growing number of little ones and it is such a blessing!

Sabbath Blessings!

Sabbath went well. I tremble worse and have more sensations of numbness and tingling in the extremities . Most activities that are continuous cause numbness. So I asked for help with running the power point during worship. There was little responds, perhaps next week we will have more sign up. The ladies were very kind and cleaned up the pot luck mess with out me. Helen took Anna for a couple of days. So I will take advantage of the rest. I hope you all are staying warm in this frigid weather! Oh, how much more it will make us appreciate the spring. ( ;

Bruce arrived home safely from Toledo, thank the Lord! We are hoping for a quiet weekend.
Many have asked about my health and I hesitate to say because it still is very confusing to me and I don't want to mislead anyone.
The MRI brain scan showed no problem with my brain, although my kids would like a vote on that. ( :
Neurology tests showed ataxia and hyper reflexes, so the neurologist is still digging for answers, she told me she suspects MS, but I know there are almost as many neuro-muscular disorders out there as there are stars (well maybe that's an exaggeration, but there are many and they are hard to diagnose). She sent me for another MRI, this time concentrating on the cervical spine. I won't know those results till next week. The shakiness and weakness become worse the more I do. I tried twice this week to do the stationary bike (on a level 1-2) only to find I could hardly walk afterwards due to shaking, numbness and tingling in my feet and legs. So I will stick to swimming for now for exercise. I am able to clean my house or do laundry but then I am to weak to do anything more and need to rest. I am finding the tingling in my feet and hands becoming more frequent as well as the tremors. I know I am in God's hands and I am sure that He knows every bit of what is going on in our lives.
Please pray for our friends from India, Sabita and Vanita, they are experiencing a lot of distress, some physical and some emotional. We are trying to help, but sometimes it hard to know how best to serve them, please pray for guidance on our part. They have become very dear to me and I hope to see them happy again.

Sabbath blessings!

Sabbath went well. I tremble worse and more sensations of numbness and tingling in the extremities . Most activities that are continuous cause numbness. So I asked for help with running the power point during worship. There was little responds, perhaps next week we will have more sign up. The ladies were very kind and cleaned pot luck mess with out me. Helen took Anna for a couple of days. So I will take advantage of the rest. I hope you all are staying warm in this frigid weather! Oh, how much more it will make us appreciate the spring.

Today I was very excited to see a headline about an ancient text, which was found in Israel, dating back to King David's time. A slab of pottery was found near Israel's Elah valley by an archaeologist Yosef Garfinkel of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
My excitement grew as I saw that this piece of ancient writings has been proven authentic and I wondered what words were included in this piece and had God purposed for these men to find it. And if He had, are the words written on it extremely important for us. Why are they so important that they should be shared around the world?
Here is the text (grab a tissue) -

1' you shall not do [it], but worship the [Lord].
2' Judge the sla[ve] and the wid[ow] / Judge the orph[an]
3' [and] the stranger. [Pl]ead for the infant / plead for the po[or and]
4' the widow. Rehabilitate [the poor] at the hands of the king.
5' Protect the po[or and] the slave / [supp]ort the stranger.

The content, which has some missing letters, is similar to some Biblical scriptures, such as Isaiah 1:17, Psalms 72:3, and Exodus 23:3, but does not appear to be copied from any Biblical text.
(Copied from LiveScience.com)

How often in scripture do we see how important the weak and helpless are to our Father!
Just some food for thought as you go about your week!
Love in Christ, Mary

Now for a little more serious side of our family life.
Bruce is scheduled to have more polyps removed on the 18th, please pray all goes well. They did not remove them all before because he bled quite a bit and the doctor performing the procedure was not comfortable with removing anymore.

Abby is doing ok. She had some trouble with blood loss at the hospital so they kept her a little longer and told her not to go back to work for 6 weeks. She is insisting on returning in a week. She is also having a lot of pain and discomfort, she seems to have a little bit of mastitis with a small fever. Thank you very much for your prayers on our behalf I know the Lord helped me through a very trying time.

Abby's water broke(she was a week over due) on Sabbath morning, just as I had finished the children's class, it was 11AM. She didn't have labor pains so they started to induce her slowly. She did not have any serious pains until about 4PM. She was extremely uncomfortable by 6 and so they gave her an epidural. Anthony came and stayed with her throughout except when things got close. We were able to play cards and enjoyed some time just talking. Dani, Abby's next best friend came and so I took the opportunity to go down stairs to a waiting room, seeking some quiet time. By this time (around 8PM) I was so exhausted and shaking I could not see how I was going to make it through the night, I felt like I could barely stand. The doctors told us it would probably not be till daylight before Abby would have the baby. I took some time to pray and specifically ask for strength to do well and make it through the night. I returned to the room after about an hour and dozed as the young people played their card game. At about 11:30PM they all were getting very tired and by midnight Dani and Anthony were fast asleep. I suddenly felt renewed strength come over me. So I changed out of my church clothes, washed up a little and went over to Abby to see how she was doing. She said her upper back was really hurting and asked if I would massage it. We did this for a while, but I started to notice, from the monitor, she was having one contraction on top of another. Having been very familiar with labor I new she was in transition. So I or Abby asked the nurse if someone could check her. Sure enough she was 100 percent and the baby was on it's way out. She had gone from 5cm at midnight to 10cm by 2AM. Anthony hearing this woke with a great surprise on his face, rushed to find his shoes so he could exit, it was very funny! Abby pushed maybe 10 times and that little baby girl came out with ease at 2:10AM. I am sure God had woke me up and gave me the presence of a clear, calm mind just at the moments when I needed it the most! Thank you all for your prayers again on our behalf, it made all the difference!

The rest of the kids are doing ok, except Sam who is feverish, with a bad headache, so he is home today. (Hope I remember to send in the absentee note in time)

The doctor has found a few reasons for my fatigue. First being of course the chronic mono, second my thyroid test came back with a TSH of an 11 when it should be ideally 1 or 2, and at worst 3-4. (The numbers go up as the thyroid function goes down). Thirdly, the sleep study showed frequent awakening and continual awareness while in a light sleep state most of the night, I had even taken Ambien( a strong sleep med.) for the study, so I thought I had slept well. Thankfully they found no breathing problems! Yaaa! The forth reason, stress, which is hard not to have! I suppose we all just need to deal with it in better ways. ( : I am to see the doctor about all this in the coming days. I did already step up the thyroid medicine, and feel it has helped some.
I would like to encourage you to continue praying for those going through trials. Your prayers mean a lot to them and God hears His faithful children. And please be aware that others are praying for you, so please do not hesitate to ask for prayer, your sisters and brothers love you and are ready to lift you up to the Father, who loves you even more!

Window into our little part of the world...

Today I would like to share just a little of the chaos that goes on in our little world. ( :
This morning when we awoke Bruce asked if I would make some eggs. But as I began the day it slipped from my mind - as I was helping Anna with her hair, straightening the bedroom and such. It was as I was going through the kitchen that I noticed Bruce sitting there with his coffee, but no empty bowl of oatmeal sitting beside him, which is the usual scene on these cold and frosty mornings. It then hit me that he was patiently waiting for his request to materialize. I went to get the frying pan from the cupboard, as I apologized for the length of time I had made him wait for his breakfast. Just then Sarah chimed in that she would love to make the eggs and that everyone loves her secret recipe. I was doubting this a little and my mind was rolling back the curtains of memory to a not to long ago egg cooking event that turned into a huge mess, which I ended up spending quite a bit of time cleaning up. But then Anna spoke up on Sarah's behalf saying how she also loved Sarah's eggs! And then my conscience chimed in saying " Mary they must learn.....".

So I took advantage of the time to run downstairs to write out an excuse note for Sam, which was almost over due and he will probably get an unexcused any ways because his father and I thought the other one was going to get prior authorization for his trip to the winter tournament in KY and so neither of us obtained authorization. So after careful thought I tried to write an appealing and humble letter to the attendance secretary explaining just that.

In the mean time Anna came down and asked if there was anything she could do to help make breakfast and again my conscience (a troublesome thing at times) said, "She needs to learn...." after all her father is sitting right there in the kitchen what could go wrong.
So I told her she could probably handle sticking in some toast and buttering it. So... with sparkles in her eyes she ran upstairs to tackle this most mature task.

In the mean time I faxed in the excuse ( if I give them to Sam he always forgets to turn them in). And then I tried to quickly call the administration office of the school district to learn how to go about registering Sarah for school (she is not doing well with the cyber school and has been pleading with me to put her back in school with "real live teachers"!). I called only to find that the phone book listed the wrong number for the administration bldg., but the person I reached was very kind and gave me the correct number, which she had handy since she gets so many calls for the administration bldg. I finally dial the correct number as I hear the kids shouting that breakfast is ready. But the message at the other end of the line goes on endlessly and when I get to the extension that I need, it simply rings and rings. I try again several times and the same thing happens, to make a long story a little shorter I finally dialed 0 and was able to talk to a live person who patched through to another line that just rang forever.

As I finished my morning's futile dialing escapade, Bruce came down the stairs in a fluster telling me angrily that I missed breakfast. I thought that perhaps his anger was because he cared so deeply that I eat a good hot breakfast, but I soon found the reason behind the rage.

Apparently Anna had done a fine job of making toast until the last two pieces, which were not quite done well enough. So Bruce asked her to stick them back in the toaster. Anna, in her enthusiasm to please her daddy, turned the dial on the toaster all the way up. Before they realized what was happening smoke was pouring out of the toaster and setting off all the alarms. Now the one important alarm, which dials the security company and then the fire department has been placed in the church office so that small stove top accidents don't get the sirens blazing toward our embarrassed household ( which has happened more then once). But I suppose the toast had burned just a little to much and set off even that alarm, so Bruce was frantically putting out the smoking toast, racing to call the security company and turning off alarms before he could sit down and eat Sarah's now somewhat cold eggs. I was oblivious to all the commotion, sheltered away in the study downstairs.
So I suppose He had a right to be a bit ticked, and we both apologized after a small cooling off period and then the day went much smoother.
I hope that when life throws you those little curve balls, sometimes one right on top of another, which it is bound to do, you can find some humor afterwards, and always know God has everything under His control.