Our Christmas Newsletter

Merry Christmas! It’s hard to believe another year is done! We can look back on this year thanking the Lord for His goodness and enduring love. We wanted to give you a glance at what happened in our lives, so here’s a quick summary of some of the major events of our year.

January- At the end of the month we found out that Tim had testicular cancer.

February- Tim had his first surgery. We were so thankful for how flexible my school was with giving me the time off I needed to be with Tim at his appointments and for his surgery, even though my requests were last minute.

March- At the beginning of the month, we called family to let them know that we were pregnant! The doctor gave us a due date of November 2nd. We also enjoying having Beth visit us during her spring break. While she was here, we were able to take a trip to Jamestown. Another fun event was our trip to Washington D.C. to visit our friends, Garrett and Amanda Lee. It was absolutely beautiful at the Cherry Blossom Festival.

April- Tim had his second surgery. The lymph nodes taken out tested cancer free. We praise the Lord for his goodness! During this trying time, God used the church family at Colonial Baptist to surround us with God’s love and encourage us to look to God. We so much love our church family down here!

May- We enjoyed being able to hear our baby’s heartbeat for the first time. Tim also finished off the school year.

June- This was a busy month for us as I finished my fourth and final year of teaching, and Tim attended a summer school class. One highlight in June was that I had my first ultrasound, and we found out we were having a boy. Thankfully, we were able to get the ultrasound before heading up to Michigan to spend time with our family. We also celebrated our one year anniversary. (How time flies.)

July- We spent the 4th of July in the U.P. with Tim’s family and enjoyed the parade, cook-out, and fireworks. Tim had the opportunity to preach at his home church, and they also threw a surprise baby shower for us. I was thankful that my parents were able to come up for the baby shower.

August- Tim began his last year of seminary.

September- We enjoyed having Sarah come visit us, and she was able to come to the baby shower that the church threw for me. Tim had his three month check-up to make sure he is still cancer free. We are rejoicing at his good report! We also began our childbirth classes at the end of the month, making the coming of Micah seem so much closer!

October- We waited for Micah to come! We finished all of the little projects to make sure we were ready for baby.

November- The highlight of the month was definitely the birth of Micah James Hill on November 11th. He weighed 8 lbs. and 4 oz. We are thankful for a healthy baby boy! We enjoyed visiting with Mom and Dad Ahtila when they came down to meet Micah.

December- Micah had his 3 week old appointment, weighing in at 10 lbs. (He loves his food!) He’s a healthy, happy baby. We look forward to having Mom and Dad Hill and Beth come visit us and meet Micah at the end of the month.

Looking Ahead- Tim has one class left this coming semester, followed by graduation in May. We’re praying about the possibility of going on a trip to Israel with the seminary shortly after graduation. We’re also seeking wisdom as to where God wants us to serve Him after Tim’s graduation.

And that’s a quick look at our year. God’s mercies sustained us, and we’re looking forward to the joys, challenges, and grace that He will give for 2009!
Merry Christmas!

Two Years Ago

Two years ago today, we got engaged! Tim sent an email to all of our family and friends the next day, telling our engagement story. We thought it would be fun to reminisce, so here’s the story. Enjoy!



She said yes.
After a long four months of papers, presentations, reading, and projects, Kristen and I planned to go out to dinner to celebrate the end of the school semester. It was to be her treat as a "congratulations" for finishing up. I still had one more paper left to complete, but since she was leaving to go home to Michigan on Thursday, we planned on Tuesday night as our "date night." Tuesday night also marked the eve of 13 months of dating. I had been doing some planning, however, and knew that tonight would be more than simply an "end of the semester" celebration.
You see last week, which was actually one the busiest times of the semester, I made time to do a little bit of—shopping. A friend had given me a phone number for the "ring lady," so on Tuesday I met with her to pick out something nice. I found something I liked. I went back on Wednesday (in between school reading) to confirm the setting and to see it looked like with the rock in it. However, at the end of the meeting, I wasn't quite sure that what I had picked out fit Kristen's personality. And I was worried the band might be too bulky. I had already told the lady "yes" and left to go home, but my mind was not settled. Well, I kept thinking about it and wondering about it. That evening I went over to give a get-well card to my girlfriend who had come home early from school that day because of sickness. As I sat with her, I looked at her hand and pictured what the ring might look like on it. I wasn't sold.
Instead of paying for the ring that night as scheduled, I called the lady back and asked to see more bands. Thursday afternoon I was back over looking at more options, praying for God's wisdom. She showed me a few more that she had in stock, one already looked much more like Kristen. We were on the right track. After a few more minutes of looking, she kind of gave an "Oh," and pulled out another ring. It was beautiful. Amazing! It was a white gold setting that was just perfect—it was delicate, feminine—everything that fit Kristen. And it was a little bit different—which fit me!  I was sold. She could have it to me by Monday.
Hmm…still needed to call her dad. I had previously swiped her parents' cell and home number—figured it might come in handy some time. But after trying the cell and getting a lady's voice, I realized I didn't have her Dad's cell number. Kristen's roommate, who was helpful as far as a ring size goes, proved to be helpful yet again in procuring her dad's cell number. Called him, Thursday. Got the OK. Things were rolling.
As I had previously said, we had already made plans to celebrate the end of the semester. Perfect! She wouldn't even see it coming! And I got to pick the location. So, on what seemed like a whim, we were headed over Tuesday night to Regent University Campus and the Swan Terrace Restaurant. Also at this time of year, they have a section on campus behind the restaurant all lit up for the holidays: A nice, romantic place to walk around after dinner. (Funny—on the way over, Kristen saw the lights and said, "Oh Tim, could we walk around there after dinner?" Could she make this any easier?)
Dinner was excellent. We had a fireplace table for two—thoroughly enjoying the atmosphere and each other's company. I had previously placed the box in my inside coat pocket. Minor point: the ring box had a light inside of it that shone when the box was opened. Pretty cool. So, after dinner while in the restroom, I made the switch from my inside coat pocket to my outside coat pocket—more accessible. And we headed over to see the lights.

They were beautiful and right next to the lake on campus. Trees and bushes were all lit up in a myriad of white lights as Christmas music floated through the evening air. (Funny: a thought went through Kristen's mind which she immediately brushed aside—"This would be the perfect place to get engaged.") After walking around and through the lights we sat down on a park bench. As we sat together and enjoyed the sounds and scenery, I wondered if now was the time. A few people lingered in the area, and others would occasionally come and go. I thought it would be best away from other people—so we could enjoy the moment together. As we sat there, Kristen looked over to a covered walkway and asked if those were more lights she saw over there. So we got up and walked that direction. (Like I said before, could she make it any easier?) Once under the walkway, we turned back to look at the lights and just stood there to admire the sight before us. I knew it was the time. I pulled out the box and opened it. Kristen was shocked. I dropped to one knee—and well…
she said Yes.
Then came the phone calls, and text messages, and showing everyone. What an exciting evening!
So everyone…we're engaged!

Micah Likes It!

Having spent Thanksgiving with Tim and Melinda and hearing about how young Winston loved his swing when he was a wee young lad, it got Kristen and me thinking. Micah seems to love getting rocked. He seems to like motion because he’s out like a light when he’s in the car. Maybe he’d like a swing.

Well, we got him one. And he likes it! And mom and dad like it because it quiets him down and puts him to sleep (sometimes).

Micah went to the doctor yesterday for his 3 week-old appointment. He was born 8 lb 4 oz, and dropped down to 7 lb 12 oz at his first doctor appointment. His goal was to gain back the 8 oz he lost at this appointment. Well, Micah—a lover of food—succeeded expectations. He weighed in at 10 pounds even—gaining not 8 ounces, but 2 pounds, 4 ounces! We’re thankful for our healthy, chubby baby.

Micah James Hill

He’s here! After months and months of anticipation, Micah James Hill finally entered the world on November 11, 2008 at 8:34 pm (8:36 according to his dad’s watch and cell phone that are always right on, but who’s keeping track). When the little guy finally popped out (after 3 hours of pushing by his mommy), he weighed in at 8 pounds, 4 ounces, and was 21 inches long. Mommy is sore, but doing well. Baby is doing well, too. He went to the doctor today for his first follow-up appointment. The poor guy didn’t like the cold stethoscopes on his belly, but he handled it like a champ. He weighed in today at a sleek 7 pounds 12 ounces (looks like he’s trying to slim down like his mommy…err…and daddy).

A little timeline of November 11^th:

6:45 water broke

7:25 contractions began

12:52 contractions staying less than 5 minutes apart on average

2:30 nurse tells a very uncomfortable mother to come on in

3:30 arrive at hospital at 7 centimeters dilated

5:00-5:45 (See Jeremiah 4:31)

5:40 fully dilated; pushing begins

8:34 Micah born

We are so very thankful for a happy, healthy, adorable little baby boy.

Pop!

Kristen woke this morning with a gasp! "My water broke!" And Tim was instantly awake. And so began our day on this Tuesday, November 11, 2008. At least the baby had the decency to wait until 6:45 before popping his favorite water balloon. Looks like little Micah is on his way!

I lost a bet

Yes. That’s me. Wearing a pink Michigan State T-shirt. The big college football rivalry in the house every year is Michigan vs. Michigan State. Each previous year Kristen and I have always done some sort of fun little bet on the game, going back to when we were just dating. Each previous year my Wolverines have always crushed her Spartans. Each previous year I’ve won the bet. But not this year. No, this year was different. In this rebuilding season under coach Rodriguez, UofM has been awful. And they proved it last Saturday (Oct 25) in their 35-21 loss to Michigan State. Despicable. I tell ya, it’s a rough time to be a Wolverine fan.

At least pink is in. (sigh)

It's All Baby Related

We are now about 2 weeks away from our due date! As the due date gets closer and I get bigger, the time doesn’t seem to be going by as quickly! We had another appointment with the midwife this week. We’re thankful that Micah’s heartbeat is still strong and that his head is down and apparently pretty far down. (For those of you who are interested and know about the “stations”, he’s at -1.) After last week’s appointment we worked on getting the car seat in the car, and I finished my last project in the baby’s room, (painting the “Micah” letters). Also, on Tuesday nights we’ve been attending our childbirth classes. We have had 4 classes so far, with 2 more left. At first I wasn’t too sure what to think about them, wondering if they were really going to be helpful. However, I am very thankful that we have been going to these. Personally I like to be well-informed, and I think our instructor has done a good job of preparing us for the different stages of labor, and teaching us how to get through each stage even if unexpected difficulties arise.

Also, Tim made a video for the 3rd trimester. We tried to take a picture every day of the growing belly (although we weren't always successful in getting that daily picture taken). Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Tim!

Happy birthday, Tim! Yesterday we celebrated Tim’s 29^th birthday. The birthday celebration really started on Sunday when we went out to Red Lobster after church for lunch. They were having a special….all-you- can-eat shrimp, which is Tim’s favorite! We started our day yesterday with a special birthday breakfast before Tim headed off to work. Since our childbirth class was cancelled Tuesday night, we had it rescheduled for last night. It was so nice that Tim was able to come home at 5:00 instead of his usual 10:00, so we could have dinner together. Also, instead of having a traditional birthday cake, Tim’s request was cupcakes. Now you may be thinking why anyone would want cupcakes instead of a regular cake. But these were Bavarian cream filled cupcakes with chocolate frosting…very yummy! I’m so thankful for Tim, and the encouragement and blessing that he has been to me. He’s the best husband ever! Happy birthday, Tim!

As the baby turns

Today is officially 34 weeks into this pregnancy. It’s amazing how quickly the time is going! I am now going for check-ups every 2 weeks. A couple weeks ago, I started feeling minor twinges of pain lower down, and it felt different. After doing research online I thought that maybe Micah had turned head down. And yup! This was confirmed by my midwife at my last appointment. She told me that although it may cause more discomfort now, it’s definitely better long-term that he’s already head down. My next appointment will be tomorrow and we will begin our childbirth classes on Tuesday (much to Tim’s joy), so stay tuned for another update.

One thing that we just bought last week for Micah was our stroller! We didn’t put one on our baby registry since we wanted to get a certain kind (thanks to Amanda and G), which was only available online. After doing some research, I was able to find this Phil and Ted’s stroller online at Target. This was perfect because not only were we able to use our Target gift cards to cover some of it, but they also had a special short time offer for free shipping! We were very excited when we got it delivered to our apartment!

Also, Tim had blood work and x-rays this past week and he is still cancer free! We are thankful for God’s goodness.

Yummy Goodness

Before we bring you up to date, we had a couple of old news stories that were just too fun to pass up. First, back on July 30^th, we found out via a friend on facebook that it was Cheesecake Factory’s 30^th anniversary and they were offering $1.50 cheesecake slices. Well, that news was just too good to pass up. So, Kristen and I decided to be a little spontaneous and go out to lunch to indulge our sweet tooth. After enjoying an awesome burrito, we got a slice of Turtle Cheesecake and White Chocolate Raspberry. Can you say heaven on earth?

Speaking of, a couple of weeks ago we took a trip to Dunkin Donuts on Sunday morning before church. (No, we don’t often go running around to indulge in junk food, but Kristen had been craving donuts for a while. And since we had been dog-sitting at someone’s house that weekend, it was on the way to church—so we yielded to temptation.) I don’t know if you’ve ever faced the daunting task of staring at piles of mouth-watering sugary-coated goodness, knowing you can pick just one—well, let’s just say it’s not a choice one should rush in to. After careful deliberation, we both decided on the chocolate-covered Boston Cream-filled donut. After receiving our selection, we headed to a table, opened the bag and to our surprise found a third donut, a powdered sugar Bavarian Crème in the bag. When we went back to inform the cashier, she told us it was fine. (Perhaps they noticed that my wife was eating for two anyway.) Happiness is ordering two donuts and finding three. It’s the little things…

Of Bellies and Baby Rooms

It’s Bigger. It’s Larger. It’s Wider.

At least that’s the way the baby room looks now that Kristen has been able to organize a lot of the clothes and accessories we had strewn all over the floor. The crib, as you can see, is mostly up. And we’re excited about how well things are coming along.

Kristen is looking as cute as ever as she’s now entering the third trimester. I can’t believe she’s already in the last stage of her pregnancy! Parenthood is only a few months away.

And now, a note from Kristen:

Lately I’ve been going to garage sales on Saturday mornings while Tim is at work. I’ve been looking for baby stuff…not so much for baby clothes, since we have so much...but other stuff. A couple weeks ago I went to one garage sale where this lady had a heaping table full of baby boy clothes from 0-6 months (she was addicted to buying baby clothes for her son, she admitted to me.) I didn’t want to buy too many clothes, but they were really cute and in really good condition! As I went to pay for my items, I was really excited to find out that everything here only cost me $1.50!! I haven’t found any more sweet deals since then, but I’m still on the look-out.

Blueberries!

6:25 AM is no time for an alarm to be going off, especially when it was a late night of reading. But, it's a little easier to get up when you're going on an early morning date to Pungo Farms to pick blueberries! And we had a great time! Look at all those wonderful blueberries. We picked nearly 12 pounds of them. And as I sit here typing, I'm smelling blueberry pancakes cooking in the kitchen. Oh yeah! We're getting ready to enjoy the fruits of our labor. And there's already talk of blueberry muffins, blueberry coffeecake, blueberry crisp...I love being married to a good cook. :)

Gotta go, pancakes are calling.

(Hope those who read the previous blog enjoyed clicking on the links. I had a little too much fun putting them in.)

Destination Michigan

Kristen and I recently drove home to Michigan to spend time with the family, see friends, and enjoy some beautiful Michigan summer weather. While we were there we, well, relaxed. Hey, it’s a vacation, right? We spent our first week with Kristen’s family in the Lower Peninsula town of Mesick. While we were there we gave those Apples to Apples cards a workout. Some highlights of the trip while with Kristen’s family were visiting Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes near Traverse City and enjoying Moomers ice cream on the way back.

Then it was up to the UP with my family. We enjoyed Fourth of July parades, fireworks, cookouts (Kristen especially got excited about the brats). We gave the Apples to Apples cards another good workout, and had a relaxing and enjoyable time with family and friends. Mom and Dad Ahtila even came up to the UP for a couple of days and enjoyed pasties with us at Presque Isle Park in Marquette. It was fantastic. Can’t wait to do it again sometime!

It's a boy!

This morning was the much expected day we’d been waiting for. After two months of anticipation, we finally drove off this morning for Kristen’s 9:00 am ultrasound. We were super excited because we would finally know if we’re having a boy or a girl. Kristen was a tad nervous too, since any possible abnormalities would also show up on the ultrasound.

Good news, the baby was healthy and normal. And…it’s a boy! It definitely was. Or, I guess I can say “he” definitely was. He was super squirmy thanks to mom’s morning orange juice or his dad’s genes. (We’ll have to keep that kid away from sugar as he grows older or he’ll be into everything!) Yeah, it’s a boy! He is God’s gift to us, and we are so very thankful.

Baby Room Renovation

What a mess, huh? We’ve had to do some rearranging in our house do to an invasion. No, not by termites, cockroaches, mice or other such vermin…but by cribs, books, diaper bags and stuffed animals. Operation Baby Room has begun.

Last week, Kristen’s school showered her with gifts for the baby. Last week, she also brought home books and other items from her old classroom. As Kristen makes the transition from retired schoolteacher to mother, she is also transitioning the house with her. The little-used study room is slowly becoming a baby room. And right now, it’s just a plain ol’ mess. A small apartment such as ours doesn’t exactly have a ton of storage space. And when you get an influx of school supplies and baby supplies, you get a…hmm… how shall I put it? An instant lesson in organization. Fortunately my Kristen is up to the challenge. In fact, she loves organizing things. (How weird is that?) But, hey, I am not complaining in the least. It was, after all, her organizational skills that first attracted me to her. Well, maybe not entirely. :) But for real, she does a great job of finding room for all those things that people have generously given to us for the baby.

Next week we’ll be able to do some fine tuning in the decorating department because, Lord willing…we’ll know if it’s a boy or a girl! Stay tuned for details!

Tim's Top 10

Tim's Top Ten list of things he's thankful for. (In alphabetical order)


1. A beautiful Memorial Day weekend signals the unofficial start of summer!
2. Baseball tonight featured the Tigers trouncing the Twins 19-3.
3. Country style pork ribs for dinner on Monday! Can’t wait!
4. Doing well is Kristen and baby. Doctors said she’s a very healthy mommy.
5. Even Tim is doing well. Every three months it’s back to the doctors for a follow-up but no further treatment!
6. Finals for the Stanley Cup and the Red Wings are in it! (Currently up 2-0 in the 3rd!)
7. Got to do some registering for baby stuff at Target and will soon do some more at Babies R Us. (When Kristen’s not looking, I register for onesies that read “Party Pooper” and “Automatic Sprinkler.”)
8. Have to mention that the Pistons are in the Eastern Conference Finals (though the score tonight ain’t worth mentioning).
9. I am getting closer to finishing up my remaining schoolwork from the semester (which is good since I start summer school on Tuesday).
10. Just 5 full days and 3 half days of school left for Kristen!

Through the mundane, the trivial, the serious and the comical, God is and continues to be good.

Diaper Diaries Part 1

There’s more excitement at the Hill house! And it’s good news. The main woman of the Hill house, Mrs. Kristen Hill herself, is officially eating for two. Yes, we’re having a baby.

On April 22^nd, Kristen went to get acquainted with the Midwifery Center. And we got to hear the little heart beat. That little critter inside her tummy was jumping all around! In fact, the nurse had a difficult time trying to keep up with that moving heartbeat. For me, it was especially moving to hear that tiny little heartbeat and know that there was a real live baby inside of her!

And lately, that baby has been causing Kristen grief with her wardrobe. In fact, she was almost late to church last night because she couldn’t fit into her pants anymore. Poor Kristen. This evening she went shopping so she could add to her ever growing maternity wardrobe (no pun intended—hee hee).

God is good. And we’re grateful! Kristen is officially 14 weeks along on this Cinco de Mayo with a due date of November 2^nd!

Home sweet Home

Surgery has come and gone. Hard to believe it was a week ago today. And now...I'm home!

I was released from the hospital Sunday afternoon, sooner than anticipated. The doctor said that since I was able to hold down liquids, keep my temperature under control, and manage the pain, I could go home. What a happy feeling! No more IV machines. No more tubes. No more 4-hour vital checks. No more needles. No more hospital food! I was free to go home!

Previously to the good news about going home, we had more good news from the doctor. The report from the surgery--30 lymph nodes removed and ALL were cancer free! Praise the Lord! We'll take this report as more of God's kindness to us. It appears that with the successful surgery and this positive report, I may have come to the end of the line as far as further cancer treatment.

Thank you to all who have been praying for us. It is humbling to know that there have been many. And prayer works! We are especially grateful to a loving church body, through whom we have experienced and are experiencing God's love and care toward us.

Currently, I'm here on the couch taking it easy. For the next 6 weeks, the doctor says to stay away from strenuous activity (according to Pastor Kirk, that also includes dusting, vacuuming, and sweeping). And no lifting anything heavier than a gallon of milk. Ah....It's good to be home.

You pick like a girl

She did it again. She beat me.

For the past few years, my friend Mikey has hosted an online tournament for March Madness as well as the college football bowl games. And each year I've carefully analyzed the matchups, agonized over my picks, and delivered a sheet that has fared...decently. Rather than having Kristen help me with my bracket this year, Kristen and I each made our own picks. And this year...my wife, who knows no other college team than Michigan State, has beaten me twice!

Last night as our brackets came to a grinding halt with victories from Memphis and Kansas (we both had UCLA winning it all), our final scores reflect 259 for her...248 for me. And while she'll finish around 37th and me around 41st (out of 72), that's still four places in front of me. But let's back up to the college bowl pick tournament a couple of months ago. After all was said and done I finished a respectable 14th. Not bad. Where did she finish? Number ONE!!! Yeah, not only did she beat me, she also beat out every other football enthusiast to win the tournament (and Mikey, we're still waiting on that dinner you promised).

But I'm really proud of my Cutie for doing well. It's fun to see her get so excited about games she would otherwise care less about.

So, maybe next year we'll go back to one bracket. And I'll be the one helping her fill it out.


(Yeah Michigan State.)

The Big Day

APRIL 9th.

The big day is scheduled. Early morning surgery starts at 7:30.

Surfing forward

Oh, those people at despair.com...they absolutely crack me up. The stuff they come up with.

Sometimes life feels like this. Can't say that we haven't wrestled through trying to make sense of things at times. However, it'd be a tragedy to view our circumstances as bad luck. I'll be honest, it's not always easy to hold on to a right perspective of things. When difficulty comes, I can only stare at the wave...my eyes can't see God's perspective. But if God truly reigns over His creation, then life's trying times simply can't be a misfortune. God rules! We're thankful that He has a plan and purpose for it all.

On Tuesday, our oncologist sat us down in the office and told us the news: tumor markings came back in normal range. (Yes!) Because it was an aggressive mixed tumor type and at stage two, there's still about a 40% chance that undetectable levels of cancer cells may have escaped into the lymph nodes. His recommendation: Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection (RPLND). This means that Tim gets to look into short term disability from work because he'll be needing some serious recovery time after this surgery.

Looks like it'll be next month some time. We'll continue to keep you updated. Thanks for praying!

Random Happenings

There have been a couple little things that have been fun additions to our home. Tim won a gift card at work for JC Penny. We were looking for some curtains for our living room, but the ones we were looking at were a little out of our price range. We checked the price of the curtains every time we went to the store. After winning this gift card, we went online to look at all of their curtains and actually liked these curtains better! We finally bought the curtains! We were so excited to order them, but then disappointed when they didn't have any in stock and had to wait a few weeks before getting them! Here's a picture of our new addition. We are so pleased with the new look! It's amazing how much curtains can add to a room!


The other fun addition was a surprise from Tim! I came home last week from school to see these happy flowers on the table! He had told me earlier that morning that he was going to throw away my roses from Valentine's Day. I definitely kept the roses much longer than I should have, and I kept asking Tim not to throw them away. He decided that since the old ones had to go, he would get me new flowers! He's so sweet! What a happy surprise!!

More labs

Ok, quick update. Had to go back to the hospital yesterday (Feb 28th) for yet another blood test. Sounds like the hospital didn't get the correct tumor marking last time (and it's not the first time I've had to go back for a redo). Will keep you posted on the results.

A Bend in the Road

January 26^th. That was the Saturday that Kristen told me that we needed to go to the doctor. Only three days earlier I had noticed a lump—the source of my discomfort from earlier in the week. So after I got home from work we went to Patient First. After an examination, the doctor told me I should have an ultrasound done at the hospital. So we went. After a long day, the doctor at the hospital told us that it looked like testicular cancer.

Wow. That was a blow. I had tried to prepare myself mentally for that diagnosis. But when the reality of what he told me was setting in—well, imagining it is one thing; actually hearing the doctor use that c-word while talking about me—that was quite another.

Kristen and I are being taught through this. Faith and trust take on new meaning when God brings you through something like this. And He has been good. Very good.

Today is February 24^th—almost a month later. I have since had outpatient surgery to remove the cancer. It was at stage 2. Praise the Lord that the doctor said that it was all contained inside, so it looks like they got all the cancer. Unfortunately, the majority of the tumor was an aggressive form of cancer and could have sent out its little cancery cells to other parts of the body. Presently, though, there is no sign that that has happened.

We still anticipate more treatment. We’ve heard results from 1 of the 3 blood tests. The hCG levels are now within normal range—a praise! That’s one sign of no-spread. Soon we’ll hear the results of the others, and we’ll keep you posted. If levels are good, then I may not need chemo. I would, however, most likely need an RPLND surgery (to remove lymph nodes).

So, that's pretty much where things are at. Did I say that God has been good? First of all, God's wisdom is evidenced through the timing of things. Having Kristen here with me has been absolutely wonderful! She is a blessing beyond blessings. I couldn't imagine going through this without her. We've been able to lean on each other and encourage one another. God is good. Also, as of January first, I bumped up my insurance coverage. I did it for Kristen; she's the "sicky." I thought the extra I was paying for me would kind of be a waste. Hmm...looks like I was wrong. We got the bill for the surgery last week—$12,069.22! Yikes. How much did the insurance cover? $12,069.22. Whew. And we've had a loving, caring church body that has been praying for us, preparing meals for us, encouraging us, and willing to do practically anything to help us.

Remember that first Saturday when we first got the news of cancer? Well, the next day, Sunday morning, our pastor started off the service by sharing a recent visit he made to a couple of elderly ladies in an assisted living center. One of them was paralyzed. He said, "What do you tell someone who asks the question...why...why would God allow something like this to happen?" He had the congregation turn to the Gospels, and he walked us through Scripture passages that highlight God's personal love. As he’s talking, I’m sitting in the choir loft behind him—listening, reading, and trying to keep myself composed. He was talking right to me. I felt like I could have been the only person in the audience that morning. It was incredible to experience God’s personal reminder that He was right there with us. And we can rest in knowing that this trial is His will for us. We’re learning that His grace will be sufficient for us.

He will continue to see us through.

We're bloggin'

Hey Everyone,

Kristen and I now have a blog. We'll both be posting to it and using it as a way to keep all you family and friends of ours informed of what's going on in our lives and health.