busy weekend

It was busy weekend and guess what!?!? I forgot my camera......So briefly here is a summary of our weekend....

Ben had his first basketball game. Grandma and Grandpa McVay came down for the game too.

Have you every seen a gym divided into three courts with all the players being in either 1st or 2nd grade? Wow, it was loud, busy and PACKED.

Ben did a great job and we are glad we got the first game over.

Here is Ben and Jake ready for church this morning. Jacob had a children's program in front of the congregation today. You guessed it, forgot the camera again. I am hoping to snag a picture from anothe parent so at least I have one of him playing the "bells."

After church Luke got called into work...so the boys and I finished making some sugar cookies. I got a phone call, forgot I had turned the timer off and smelled the cookies about 15 minutes later. I will say they taste good with coffee but that is about it!

Tonight, I was in the kitchen and heard something like snoring from the other room, this is what I saw...

Jacob was the one snoring (his foot up, really is that comfortable?)
Must be!

And Ben snuggled up under two blankets...
Don't they look like angels when they are asleep?
Then they wake up and that is a different story (but I still wouldn't change them for the world).

Christmas Season

Random pictures of our 2009 Christmas Season.

It began with shoe boxes for Samaritan's Purse....

They both chose boys to shop for...imagine! I forgot to take a picture of the final project but we loved doing this as a family.

Thanks Luke for taking them shopping....
Since you did this, the shoe boxes weren't late....

Jake discovering his "glitter globe" that was boxed up for the year.

I love this picture.

K-State....

At least each boy had their own ornament or it would have gotten physical.

The boys usually drink hot chocolate while decorating the tree.

Sugar is a "no-no" on our "special diets."

BUT, we couldn't back out on "tradition"

I think Grandma and Grandpa will understand...

Christmas music provided by PANDORA!

Mom not keeping up with taking ornaments out of the boxes...

The finished product.

I love it when only the Christmas lights are on in the house.

It makes me feel happy.

It makes me reflect on our Savior's birth and the fulfillment of God's promise.

Jacob did it!

Jacob did it!

Jacob learned how to tie his shoes this week!

He has been working really hard but couldn't seem to figure out the last "bunny ear."

Then viola, he got it!

Jacob "sporting" his tied shoes that he did all by himself!

Now, when the new wears off, I am sure I will be back to tying shoes...

But, in the meantime, my dry, cracked hands are enjoying the break.

Biopsy is OVER!

We did it! Luke and I made it to Wichita for our Dr's appointments. I took my Ativan and Luke threatened to record me using his phone, but I don't think he new how to work it! Lucky for me!

Luke got a FABULOUS report from Dr. Moore, Jr. and Luke is able to go on his trip. Luke's x-ray continued to show a lot of arthritis in his back and his zyphoid continues to grow bigger. However, that is something that can be addressed when he comes back from Liberia. I also have to thank Zoe who as an awesome "studies" nurse. She has a great personality and is always so upbeat and caring. She followed Luke for awhile while he did supplement study for his type of lung cancer. They pulled the study but at least we still get to see her!

Yesterday, the Ativan made me feel drunk. It didn't stop the pain of the needle/catheter going in my arm to dispense the morphine. If the morphine helped I did not notice because it was so painful. Seriously, I didn't get all these drugs on the first bone marrow biopsy but thank you God I had them on the 2nd one. I started crying and got super embarrassed because I can usually disassociate from the pain, just couldn't yesterday....There are no words to describe what they do during the biopsy, so if you are curious, "U-Tube it", and see! My hip continues to hurts and if I don't apply pressure it throbs. I feel like my entire body is in shock and that every bone is bruised in my body.

I hurt so bad this morning I had my friend drive me to the Dr in Newton so the nurse could "re-dress" the bandage and add more tape. I started crying again (which I don't like doing) and she was so empathetic, understanding how frustrated I was. Thanks Susan, she is another awesome nurse!

PRAISE: I would like to thank everyone for their prayers yesterday. We have wonderful friends that care for us. We received another unexpected donation for Luke's trip. Praise that I am married to such a caring, loving, wonderful husband. All of the small details he thinks of when caring for me are appreciated. For example after being wheeled downstairs in a wheel chair, he had the car warmed up and once I got in car he covered me up with a blanket (as I am always cold). Praise for my women's bible study....Kelly made us meal last night that was gluten free! I love the women in this study as they are so caring towards one another.

PRAYERS: That Luke's trip will be 100% funded by the time he leaves on January 6th. Pray that the supply money will come in for materials for the library and safety for all those going on this trip. Continue to pray for answers for my test results even if it is good/bad. Pray for peace for the boys as they are getting anxious about these new things happening in our home.

It is a GO!

PRAISE: We received word yesterday that Suzy had heard from Tony and the trip is a GO! The funds should be coming in soon for supplies! Luke had everything ready to be mailed to the Liberian Embassy but didn't want to send the envelope until we had word from Tony. ... He was so excited! I sent him to the post office so he could get in the mail. I am fairly certain he was floating on cloud 9 most of the evening!

PRAISE: We sent our first envelope to Deer Creek Church with donations! It was awesome. Friends and family have been so gracious, we are excited to have them share in God's work. We are roughly 50% funded for Luke's trip that will begin one month from yesterday.

I am going out on a HUGE LIMB here and speaking from my heart. I have been wanting to share this for awhile on my blog but never felt the timing was right. It may be a point of anxiety for me, but I believe some things need to be shared in order for some extra prayers.

In the midst of everything good going for Luke our family (me especially) is experiencing some spiritual warfare. I spoke with our Pastor the other day and he agreed and gave me some resources. As some of you know I really haven't felt well for about 2 years. It is draining. I hate saying I don't feel well because I know people are tired of hearing it and I am SICK AND TIRED of FEELING SICK & TIRED......I have seen multiple specialists and the most recent is a hematologist/cancer specialist. I have been having blood drawn weekly for almost a year. For some reason I don't produce very many white blood cells and then my body can't fight off sickness. In September I had my lowest WBC and the lowest "infection fighter count" and it was the best I felt in months. The Dr. wanted to do a SECOND bone marrow biopsy and I refused. They are painful, they take weeks to heal from and above all they couldn't find anything wrong (even though I continue to have 2-3% abnormal lymph nodes).

Luke and I decided to go some alternative routes and met with a Chiropractor/Kinesiologist (Dr. R.) in Topeka. He didn't know all of my side effects but came to the conclusion I had "parasites." He indicated I have probably had them since I was kid. I don't know what kind because living in the central US facilities don't do enough testing to know what they are looking for. Regardless of what type of parasite, my treatment would be the same. He also indicated if I had them my entire family would more than likely have them. So we have been on a high protein/low carb diet since the beginning of November. The boys have done great even with such strict dietary regimen and just have a few more weeks to go before finishing treatment. FYI parasites LOVE sugar so we are trying to starve them and take supplements that inhibit their ability to digest sugar.

The bottom line is my body is TOXIC from the parasites waste. Their waste travels through your blood stream and they excrete amonia and other things harmful to humans. There is a strong correlation between parasites and cancer and fungus. That is a different blog for a different day.

However, this exhausting. My ability to work is limited because I don't know how I will feel. This last week my leg broke out in shingles which is another sign of a very compromised immune system ! Therefore, Luke and I decided to go get my second biopsy because of all the indications of a "pre-leukemia" or "lymphoma."

Luke told Pastor Dave the other day that his going on this trip depended on my biopsy results. I promptly told him he was going regardless of the test results. I won't go through typical cancer treatment anyway so one more month isn't going to hurt me.....BUT today is the day of the biopsy.......We are making the trek to Wichita in the snow, sleet and ice. Besides, Luke has an appt too with his cancer Dr so it is kind of 2 for 1 deal!

Praises: Look at the top. We have so much to be thankful for.

Prayer Requests: answers (whatever they may be), endurance, protection, for our boys as they are anxious because the last time Luke was gone that long he was in the hospital after having his lung removed last year, safe travels today and continued prayer and financial support.

Ephesians 6:13-17: Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.

Team Liberia

We will soon be announcing the blog for "Team Liberia 2010." VERY EXCITING!

Luke and I have been learning A LOT about international travel. Luke has been a champion planning ahead and getting his "to do" list taken care of. I am impressed since I tend to be a procrastinator and/or "work under the gun" kind of person....

PRAISE: We are about 12% supported for Luke's trip to Liberia. Luke was able to get his Yellow Fever shot and other mandatory vaccines yesterday (which was an issue on Monday). God is showing me sides of my husband that I have never seen before regarding his FAITH!

PRAYERS: Please pray for Luke as he is getting persecuted regarding his trip to Liberia from both friends and family. Emotionally this can be very trying. Please pray for endurance as my health continues to be like a roller coaster.

Luke's New Mission

Very exciting things have been happening at the Schmidt household and I think it is time to share! Last weekend Luke went to Fairplay, Colorado for a "missions retreat." It was the same weekend I wanted to be in Muscatine, Iowa to hear Scott Harrison speak from Charity Water (water4christmas) but things never materialized. However, Luke still got an opportunity to hear more about a missions project being planned in January 2010 in Monrovia, Liberia.

First, let me take you back a year or two in our lives. I will try to make this brief but no promises! Two years ago Luke and I took a Perspectives Class in our church which changed our lives....As a result of this class, Luke and I decided that I needed a career change. I had been working roughly 11 years as a Director of Juvenile Services (in and out of home placements/prevention) and an Intensive Supervision Officer for Adults & Juveniles. It was very stressful and my family was suffering as a result. We decided I should stay at home for awhile so I could be more involved in Bible Studies, Church and with our family. My last day was July 3, 2008.

During Perspectives we met a speaker by the name of Tony Weedor. Tony talked of his life-story walking out of Liberia with his wife and young daughter during a civil war, one in which Christians were being persecuted. Tony arrived at a refugee camp still proclaiming his love for Christ and Liberia. Tony had a vision that he would one day return to Liberia and provide a safe place for family/community gatherings and a place where one could learn about our God and Savior without fear. That night at Perspectives, Tony handed out a brochure called Center Point International after Tony's "mission." Something about Tony's testimony lit a fire in Luke that he hadn't experienced since he was at Thomas-Moore Prep. That night Luke came home and put the brochure on our bathroom mirror and it has been there ever since so we can remember to pray for Tony and Center Point.

Second, 2 weeks after I quit my job we found out the spot on Luke's lung had "doubled in size 8 times in 6 months" and needed to come out immediately. These spots on Luke's lungs were found "accidentally" during a CT scan of his lower back. We had been watching them so this growth was unexpected as Luke was not a smoker. The surgeon informed me during the surgery that the spot on Luke's lung was cancer and they had to remove not only the middle but also the upper lobe of his right lung. We were thankful Luke did not have to have radiation or chemotherapy. The recovery has been a long process but we continue to praise God that the cancer was found, it didn't spread and that Luke is still with us today.

Now to the present.......Roughly 3 weeks ago we got a call from a friend who asked if Luke wanted to go on a short term missions trip to Monrovia, Liberia. They were needing someone who knew how to do electrical work for a library and they thought of him. Of course, Luke wanted to go but when he found out it would be with Tony Weedor at Center Point, he was ELATED.

I am so excited for Luke and this opportunity he has been given to serve God. He has written letters to friends and family asking for prayer and financial support. Luke will be leaving January 7, 2010 and returning January 19th. There are only two men from Kansas going on the trip and the rest are from Colorado. We will be starting a separate blog for their trip sometime this week ( I will keep you posted). We are no where near our financial support and airline tickets will need to be purchased soon so continued prayers would be welcomed!

Here is part of the group going to Liberia. Tony Weedor is directly below Luke. Luke will be traveling with Eric Buller who was at Water Weekend (lucky) and not in the picture...

To learn more about Tony's mission please visit http://www.centerpointinternational.org/. This group will be working on the library at Center Point's Compound. If anyone would like to be part of Luke's prayer team, please email him at luke7710@hotmail.com or leave a comment and I will pass it on to him.

Isabel's 2nd Birthday

Luke made it home from Colorado early Sunday morning. He slept a few hours and had to get up to get ready for company. Luke's parents, Jacqie, Isabel, and Isabel's other grandma were coming over that afternoon to celebrate Thanksgiving and Isabel's 2nd birthday! Luke was so EXCITED to see his Isabel he could hardly stand it!Great grandma Schmidt brought the birthday cake...

It was delicious!
Isabel getting ready to blow out her candles...
The boys did NOT like the princess plates, napkins and tablecloth.
They were too funny!

Isabel was always ready to pose, even with an ice cream mustache!

Grandpa and Isabel.

Isabel opening presents...

The pose again!

The boys couldn't get enough of Isabel.

Grandma Linda and the kids playing.

We were so glad Linda could join us for the party...

We hope we can do it again.

My Dads Old House In Colorado

Last weekend, Luke took a quick trip to Fairplay, Colorado. He was so excited about his trip, he couldn't sleep the night before. Therefore, he got up extra early and was extra early for his meeting. Since he had a few "hours" to spare, he stopped off at my dad's (and mine for one year) old house in the mountains.

When Luke pulled up to the house, there was an elk in our old front yard. She got scared and ran away before Luke could get a picture.

Dad's old house

I would park my car at the bottom of the driveway when my car wouldn't make it up the drive due to LOTS of SNOW!

This land is across the street from our old house.

There is a "For Sale" sign if anyone wants a great cabin....

I am afraid it would be quite pricey too!

Luke and I really miss this place!

Dad sold it after he decided to move somewhere warm and tropical.....

He left the long winters/snow FOR warm weather, nice beaches and cheaper living....

Now in order to see dad we have to fly for 24 hours to Thailand, rather than drive to Colorado for 8 hours. Hmmm....I don't foresee that anytime soon with two boys!

Thank You!

THANK YOU!!

Over $10,000 dollars was in ONE day for WATER.....

Water for babies.....children.......... mother's.......father's........grandmother's... & grandfather's...

This pictures humbles me.......This was a recent picture taken by Jody's team while visiting the villages in Liberia who have received the wells for clean water.

This picture made me stop.....Every time I think my house needs "so much work" done to it or I am upset because I don't I have anything to wear (as I have a walk in closet full and few dressers), I am reminded of what God has given me and my family....

I am not sure of the name of the song (Enough? You alone are God?) but we sang it in church a few weeks ago and it reminds me of how blessed we are....

The verse says something like this: "You have given me more than enough."

Today, as we prepare for the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday, lets truly reflect how blessed we are and how often times God is not acknowledged or praised for these blessings.

Faces behind the water

This is truly AMAZING. I want to write something more profound but I lack the words and time to give it proper thought. Therefore, I will use Jody's blog to help express what my heart wants to say.....

Once again, you are wondering if Water4Christmas is a legit organization!?! Yes.....yes it is. Here is the proof. Please take 5 minutes and read about Jody's (& others) journey to Liberia.

This is the real deal folks! This is not some sales pitch asking for money in order to line the pockets of those in administration. We are blessed to live in the United States. We are blessed in order to bless others. If you can't afford $10.00, then please blog, facebook, email, whatever, in order to tell people about this organization http://www.water4christmas.com/. I can't turn my back away from the faces of those the water has helped, like the boy above. See what God puts on your heart and act accordingly. Really, we are all just "Jars of Clay." Ordinary, everyday people that are trying to make a difference.

Little Break-Water4Christmas

So I have taken a little break from blog land. Really, I wish time wasn't such a factor. I have been wanting to blog more about WATER but haven't had the right words at the right time. There has been so much going on lately that I am lucky to even recall my name (more on that later).

So today I am sending you to another blog that is super cool and she has already done the work explaining the Water4Christmas cause! Megan was one of the 9 that got together to make crafts to sell in the Water4Christmas Etsy shop. Thanks Meg!

Also, visit the Water4Christmas website and purchase your first $10 Christmas present on November 13th. :)

Grandma Sue's Birthday

Despite all the illness, I went against my "better" judgement and we went to the K-State vs. Texas A&M game in Manhattan on Saturday. Jacob has had a sinus infection for days and I was sick Friday night/Saturday morning.

Here is my REASONING for making myself and the kids hang out in the cold:

1. Jacqie and her friend wanted to come with us to this game for months....Luke looked hard for weeks before he found tickets.

2. My step-sister, Angela and her husband, Matt, were going to be in town at the game.

3. We were celebrating my mom's BIRTHDAY at the game.

Angela made a homemade carrot cake with real cream cheese frosting!

Perfectly decorated for mom and a K-State game!

Yes, it was as delicious at it looks!
Jacob picked this out for Grandma Sue the other day. It is a box with an angel holding a gold shaped heart. Hence the reason it was called the "Heart of Gold Angel."
Jacob wrapped it all by himself with "Superman" wrapping paper.

Thank you mom for being there for me and for all of your family.
You truly do have a Heart of Gold.
We Love You!

Water Retreat Weekend

The first weekend of October I had the opportunity to spend time with 9 amazing women making crafts to sell on the etsy shop for www.water4christmas.com.

4 women drove from Iowa & 4 of us drove from Newton

to Pam's house in Kansas City.

All of us contributing to the project in our own special way.

Crafting Team

Front Row: Teresa, Jody, Shana, Amy, Pam, Megan

Back row: Me, Cassie, Amy, Jana
Me......yes, me.........doing crafts and loving it.........REALLY!

Pam's "House of Crafts"

Cassie, Amy and Jody working hard.

Teresa cutting patterns for headbands.

patterns.....

Pam our hostess....

I miss her so much since she left Newton. It was good to see her.

Megan's finished project.

I was humbled by the passion of these women.

Driven to help raise money to dig wells in Liberia for CLEAN drinking water.

Clean water, which we take for granted here in America.

I have thought about this post for almost two weeks. My post hasn't been as eloquent or as "heart felt" as I would like it to be. Therefore, I encourage each of you to read more about the weekend from fellow "bloggers/crafters." Go to "Clearing the Air", The Burback Family, Whatever, Chapter 35 and http://jodyrlanders.com on the side bar of my blog to learn more.

I apologize in advance, I still don't know how to add their links to my posts.

Visitors!

On Sunday we had surprise visitors come by to see us! Onn and her friend came by the house and brought some food for us. Onn is a very SPECIAL person. She is very caring and she loves the boys (despite their orneriness).Jacob was excited to show Onn his "Bumble Bee" Costume.
Here is Onn, Jacob and Ben (GI Joe).

Onn is originally from Thailand. She has only been in the United States a few years. She is attending WSU, getting her degree in nursing. We are thankful that God has brought her into our lives. Our stomachs like it too because she a great cook!

Check out Siam Cuisine in Wichita for authentic Thai food at very REASONABLE prices. Onn's family runs the business.

Also, Luke's parents came by and spent Sunday night with us. Don had a Drs. appointment in Wichita on Monday so we had extra special time with them on Sunday/Monday.

Jacqie was able to come by and see us too. However, Luke was bummed because Jacqie didn't have time to bring Isabel!

Trooper Therapy & Random Pictures

"Mr. Smiley" AKA "Trooper"

This is "Trooper". He is MY dog. Trooper loves the boys, especially Jacob. Ben is allergic to dogs so he stays clear but Jacob "snuggles" with Troop and they are buddies. Troop got his name because I decided with two boys ages 2 and 3 (at the time) he needed to be a "Trooper" to put up with the boys being rough. Troop is a VERY good boy, low key, relaxed, and melts my heart with those big brown eyes. Troops only down fall are his ears. He gets infections frequently which can cause him to be quite "stinky." That is okay by me because I still LOVE him. Above, Troop looks like a bear rug, relaxing after a very rough morning - ha!
Here is Troop sporting an "80's do" with an "ear head-band."
This is suppose to help get air to his ears so they don't get infected.

Side profile

Trooper very excited that we were in the back yard.

NOW, here is the real reason for the blog.......

I was lonely being in the house by myself on Tuesday and Troop smelled.

Therefore, I decided to give him a bath and "groom him."

I was also trying to be "thrifty" since I am not working and wanted to save $80.

Above is the before bath, blow drying, shaving and brushing picture.
Trooper afterwards.

It took so long to take care of Trooper and clean the bathroom, that I was late picking up the boys. However, it made the day go by quickly!