Reflections on a Daughter’s Illness
By Kendra | February 8, 2010
Sisters
I knew from the very moment things seemed to go awry that God was going to teach us something. Certainly, I haven’t learned it all yet, and I suspect I’ve just barely scratched the surface of this trial. But our daughter’s ruptured appendix and recovery from septic shock has been the biggest trial of my life.
The reasons are many, multi-layered, and very personal. I’m not sure I can even sort through them yet. I’m recovering from her recovery.
In the forefront of lessons learned or yet to be learned is this: I’m sorry. I can’t do that. Thanks, Elizabeth. You are a brave woman who has shown me exactly what I needed to see.
♥
A little addendum. I wrote this post a few days ago, but on Saturday night our two-year-old had a seizure. I know. It was out of the blue, the first seizure any of our kids have had to our knowledge, and completely unexpected. He spiked a 103 temp afterward, so we are relieved to know it was a common febrile seizure.
Now the phrase, “I’m sorry. I can’t do that” carries even more weight.
Topics: Musings and Miscellany, Nurturing Moms | 14 Comments »
Guess What We Did Tonight?
By Kendra | February 4, 2010
You’ll have to take a trip to The Mango Times to see…
Topics: Musings and Miscellany | 15 Comments »
Reading Through the Bible 2010
By Kendra | February 3, 2010
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet
If you decided to read through the Bible this year, how are you doing? I’d love to hear how reading in January has impacted your new year!
Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
Topics: Nurturing Moms | 22 Comments »
We’re still in the hospital. Can you believe it?
By Kendra | February 2, 2010
Yep. Today is day 19, and although we are out of the ICU, we are on the peds floor waiting for her fevers to stop and for her eating to improve. That’s been tricky; the antibiotics she’s on are making her nauseated. The taco she ate for dinner last night was a huge, big deal- the first thing she’d asked to eat- but it didn’t stay in her tummy 
Please pray that she’ll just continue to improve. Pray for my other kiddos, who have been sweet, kind, and understanding. They’re also missing their sister! Pray for my husband and myself, who feel as if we’re in an endurance marathon.
Thanks!
Topics: Musings and Miscellany | 16 Comments »
Wonders of Creation Contest Winner!
By Kendra | February 1, 2010
The winner of the Wonders of Creation book set is:
16. Kristen in MO, who said,
My favorite thing about nature is how it reminds me of God’s greatness.
Congratulations Kristen! Please contact me by leaving a comment here and your email address.
Topics: Contests | 2 Comments »
What’s Better Than Adopting One Child?
By Kendra | January 29, 2010
Why, adopting TWO!
Our dear friends (and pastor) Steve and Wendy Walker just learned that they will be bringing home a sweet six-year-old from China in just a few months. But wait! There’s more! A few days after they received that call, their agency in Uganda called them and guess what? They are also bringing home a baby boy!
You can read their God-sized story here.
And then you can bid on some really great items at their auction page here. All proceeds go toward helping them quicky raise the funds they’ll need for TWO international trips they’ll have to take within weeks of each other.
Praise God, eh?
Topics: Musings and Miscellany | 6 Comments »
Wednesday Update
By Kendra | January 27, 2010
For a thorough update on our daughter’s condition, please read my husband’s post today.
Topics: Musings and Miscellany | 6 Comments »
Our Favorite Whole Wheat Rolls
By Kendra | January 27, 2010
This recipe is our standard roll-from-the-bread-machine. In fact, I rarely make bread in the machine because using it to make dough is so fantastic.
1 cup water
2 Tablespoons butter
1 egg
2 1/2 Tablespoons honey
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons yeast
Add all ingredients to your machine in the order above. Turn on dough setting. When finished, divide dough into 12 pieces and shape into rolls.
Place in a greased 11 x 13 pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled in size. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
You can vary the recipe to your liking by adding a handful of millet for a little crunch and/or brushing the just-baked rolls with butter.
Topics: Family Friendly Recipes | 10 Comments »
Tuesday’s ICU Report
By Kendra | January 26, 2010
I know it seems like prayer requests for our daughter have not stopped, but this is our 11th day in the ICU for her ruptured appendix.
Over the past week she has developed a few fluid-filled infected areas in her abdomen and her surgeon has made the decision to go in and drain them non-surgically. Sounds easy enough, but one of the areas is precariously located near some arteries, so getting to it with a needle/drain is complicated and risky.
The procedure will take place this morning at 10:30AM (CA time) under general anesthesia.
*Please pray with us for a safe and effective procedure.
*Pray for safe anesthesia… going to sleep and waking back up.
*Pray that they find the target and can drain the infections.
*Pray that her organs and arteries are protected from injury.
*Pray for peace while we wait to hear the results.
We have no estimates on how long this procedure will take, how effective it will be, or when we will be home. We have been told that due to the nature of the infection, it will be weeks to months before she is back to 100%.
Thanks for praying! I’ll update here to let you know what happened!
Topics: Musings and Miscellany | 30 Comments »
Classic Re-Post: Just Live Your Life With Your Kids
By Kendra | January 25, 2010
It’s Monday, and today we find out whether or not our sweet girl will have to undergo another surgery to remove deep pockets of infection. An email from a friend reminded me recently of this post, originally posted after our daughter’s accident. It remains apropos.
Originally posted January 1, 2009
♥
I’ve done a lot of thinking these past few weeks I haven’t been blogging. My husband and I have been mulling many things over, including our parenting, our children, and our family life.
We’ve been homeschooling for 12 years now, and we’ve seen many things come and go. We’ve jumped on a few bandwagons ourselves, some to our detriment, others to our benefit. Here’s the thing: there is no one right method of parenting/homeschooling/churching for every family. Some of us get so caught up in a system, an ideology, or a paradigm that we can’t just live life.
Ever since Mighty Joe battled fiercely for his seven-week-old life, my whole entire perspective has changed. I feel ill-equipped to give anyone advice. Some of you have emailed me over the break asking for my opinion or wisdom and you know it took me weeks to reply. I just don’t feel worthy of that position. You’re free to continue emailing me, but do so with the understanding that I don’t have all the answers. Actually, I only have one: love God.
And live your life! Boldly! With great joy! Passionately!
Because as my dear friend Heather whose husband Eric passed away a year ago this month will tell you, there are no guarantees. Their family took up Point of Grace’s How You Live as their theme song. That never seemed so poignant as the night we knew Eric was not going to live another day on this earth.
“Make peace with God, make peace with yourself. Because in the end, there’s nobody else…”
Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
Topics: Life with Preschoolers | 7 Comments »
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