KJ's Ladies: December 2008

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from our family to yours ....

Here is an update for everyone on T-man's story (in the words of T-man's father)...

We all had a relaxed consultation with the head doctor of T’s medical team. The main tumor has not really reduced in size as they had hoped but it is “dying” from the inside, which is great. Since the size is not where they want it for now, we are going to continue 2 more cycles of chemo (6 weeks). T will be going in the hospital Sunday 12/7 for the week and then again 12/28 for the week. They are planning to schedule surgery to remove the tumor by middle to end of January. However, the doctor needs to consult with the surgeon to see if it does not shrink more, if they can still remove it. They want to get it out ASAP.

The other news is that the larger spots in both lungs are starting to shrink! They are hoping that the chemo will wipe those out completely.

We are really praising God for the progress T is making! It is a huge encouragement to all of us. We also know the road ahead of us may be harder than the past months. Please pray for wisdom for the medical team, healing for T, the reduction of the tumors, and health & strength for all of us.

T’s attitude is still really great and I believe it is because of the prayers, that he is doing so well.

Please forward this website to anyone who is interested or is praying for T. I will update the Journal on the website about once a week. The website gives you more information on T’s condition and keeps a running journal of updates. What is really cool, is T that can check the messages from the hospital, school, home, or where ever to read the encouragements you send. Please sign his guest book….LET”S FILL IT UP!

Please visit our Caring Bridge site anytime. You can use the site to check in on T, read the journal entries and send us messages by signing our guestbook. When you register with Caring Bridge and sign our guestbook, you will automatically receive e-mail notifications each time our journal is updated. Or, you can subscribe to receive these notifications even before you sign the guestbook. (Of course, you can unsubscribe from these e-mail updates at any time.)

2008 Christmas Letter

For those of you who may not be within our Christmas card mailing... these are the pictures and letter that went out this year... (very long post)

Family 2008 (June)

The following are dresses made by my mother for the holidays this year...

Princess #1 (5 years old)

Princess #2 (just shy of 4 years)

Princess #3 (7 months old)

Dearest Family & Friends-

Merry Christmas! I don’t know about you but I feel like I just wrote a Christmas letter yesterday and here we are a year later and I am writing another one! As I look back on the past year I would definitely say we have had a year of growth. So, go snuggle down by the crackling fire as I try to recap our brightest moments…

Princess #3: Our family grew again this year. On April 9, 2008 Princess #3 made her appearance at 3:58pm weighing in at 8lbs 10oz and 22 inches long. She was two weeks late but when she did finally arrive, my sister-in-law, my mom and Prince Charming were all there to greet her. She is very different in appearance than the other two girls, with dark brown eyes and dark brown hair. Everyone says she is a mirror image of her mommy. She has mastered rolling over, sitting up, crawling, and furniture walking all in her short little 8 months. (Mommy is hoping she waits until after Christmas to walk) She is a very contented baby and has the most infectious giggle.

Princess #2: I think this is the family member I have seen the most growth in! She started the year with her 3rd birthday princess party. She loved becoming a big sister to Princess #3 and helps Mommy all the time. Then somewhere during the year she stopped being a toddler and went to full-fledged preschooler. During the summer she could be found tagging after Daddy, mowing the lawn, taking the leaves to the dump, going the hardware store, and changing the oil in the vehicles. She is counting days until she is four so she can go on her first "hunting trip" with Daddy. In the fall she started homeschool at "Preschool" with mommy 2 mornings a week. She has mastered writing and reading all her letters and numbers 1- 10. She can also spell and write her name. Princess #2 has a cute little sense of humor and loves making people laugh. She has the sweetest little heart and is sensitive to everyone around her.

Princess #1: During the first half of the year Princess #1 finished her preschool where she showed everyone what an imagination she has. She loves to preform and make up stories. She was voted most imaginative at her preschool graduation. She has also taken to being the biggest sister by being very protective of her baby sisters. During the summer, Princess #1 took offical swimming lessons, where she was a bit timid about being in the really cold pool but when Daddy worked with her over the summer at the family pool, she showed great improvement. She also enjoyed berry picking with Grandma and participating in VBS this year. In the fall she started kindergarten at mommy’s alma mater but it is Grandpa’s as well, so she is the 3rd generation to attend! She loves being in school and has made many new friends. She recently turned 5 years old and celebrated with a Barbie birthday (Prince Charming was "thrilled") and a big birthday talent show. She has grown in a lovely young lady with an amazing imagination, which we all get to enjoy in her "shows".

Prince Charming: Another big growth this year is that Prince Charming is not building the log cabin with his dad! In December of last year PopPop and MomMom finally moved into their dream home. They have spent the last year doing small details around the house to make it a home. The Marine and the Decorator made the move from the states to CANADA in June of this year and we were able to spend about a month with them in NY before they transferred. We were able to spend many weekends during the summer at Meadow Winds just enjoying the new home and property. In the late summer Prince Charming’s mom decided to stir things up a bit and take a 12-foot dive off their back deck. She had many broken ribs, a broken arm, and some fractures in her back. God has been gracious because only 4 months later she is physically healed, just working to get back some of her staminia. Prince Charming has gotten two deer so far this season, one 5 point buck and a doe. And He was able to take Princess #1 out hunting with him again this fall. We also just added another niece to our family, little Frozen Princess joined The Marine’s family in November . In late fall, Prince Charming took over the recording ministry at our church, he is now responsible for recording each service so that anyone not able to attend a service can listen to it via CD or tape. He has enjoyed the challenge and has many thoughts for the future. He also continues to be a trustee in the church and enjoys men’s bible study

Domestic Goddess: Ahh… now on to me. I mainly spent the first few months of the year growing large with child! I then spent the rest of the year adjusting to being the mommy of three. In May we had a dedication service for Princess #3 with family, friends, church family and her godparents, Uncle Pastor and Aunt Pharmacist. We also took a camping trip with my parents and my brother’s family this summer. This fall Prince Charming and I celebrated our 10-year anniversary a little early with a 4-day trip to Moosehead Lake, ME. It was such a beautiful area and we were able to see a moose, a bald eagle, deer and funny oreo cows. I loved the time away from the kids and life for a little while. The rest of year was spent driving Princess #1 to school, volunteering at school, planning school lessons, keeping up with diapers, midnight feedings, laundry, and cooking. I also continue to enjoy running the children’s ministry at church and attend ladies nights out and ladies bible studies at church. Another "hobby" that I took up this year is updating our family blog, so if you would like more detailed information on our family through out the year be sure to check it out this address http://kjsladies.blogspot.com/

So as you can see not only has our family grown this year, but so have we. God has been stretching us and molding us into his perfect creations. So in closing I will leave you with a verse that has been special to me this year and some photos of special events during the year.

"Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and
body by preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Faithful is He who calls you, and He will also bring it pass."
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Love,

kjsladies

Princess #2's Third Birthday

Easter Family Picture

Princess #3's Arrival

The bigger sisters meeting Princess #3

KJs Little Ladies

Princess #3 Dedication and her godparents, Uncle Pastor and Aunt Pharmacist

Prince Charming's Family in front of the new log cabin

Princess #1's preschool graduation with her teacher Ms. P in the background

Princess #1 at swim lessons

Princess #3 playing with her godmother, Aunt Pharmacist

Princess #1 and #2 fishing with Grandpa and Grandma

Prince Charming and I at a wedding

Princess #3 starting to crawl

MomMom in the hospital after a twelve-foot fall from the back deck

Princess #1's first day of school

Princess #2 doing homeschool

Our circle of blessing

The Cousins

Our 10-year anniversary trip to Maine- hiking to Moxie Falls in Maine

Circle time in Princess #1's classroom- taken while volunteering in Princess #1's classroom

Princess #2 helping Daddy with the oil

Princess #1's Fifth Birthday

MomMom and PopPop at Thanksgiving (praise God only 4 months after the accident and she is looking great)

Wordless Wednesday

Family Christmas Day

This past Sunday our family stayed at church and helped to prepare the church for Christmas (some people call it "greening" the church) Afterwards we came home and continued a tradition of preparing Christmas thank you boxes for our personal missionaries. (usually do them at Thanksgiving but we were a bit behind this year)

Princess #1, Rose and Firecraker with their teacher, Ms. C

Signing the cards to our church's missionaries

Setting up the tree

"Greening" the church

Preparing baskets for the shut-ins

Even the children get a tree to decorate

At home preparing our own boxes for missionaries

The Frozen Princess

Right after Thanksgiving we were blessed with another niece. She was born at 9:59pm in frozen northern tundra of Canada, weighing in at 9lbs 9ozs and 22 inches long. She joins 2 big brothers, Little Flyer and Snuggler . Congratulations The Marine and The Decorator!!

Welcome Frozen Princess!

Proud big brother Snuggler

Proud biggest brother Little Flyer

Our nephews and niece (how adorable)

Snuggler meeting the Frozen Princess

Little Flyer meeting the Frozen Princess

The Marine getting to know the Little Princess

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at PopPop and MomMom's house. My parents, my brother and sister-in-law and her mother were able to join us. Also MomMom's brother and wife were here. So it made for a nice relaxing and comfortable day!

Prince Charming's parents: PopPop and MomMom