Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
7th Grandchild Arrives
Our 7th grandchild is a girl! She was born at 10:15 tonight to Jon (in Iraq) and Janelle (in Cheyenne). More details later.
Papa Walk
Danny and I took a “papa walk” to MacDonald’s while Janelle was in the hospital getting a new baby. Danny said he wants a boy but mom wants a girl. When we got to MacD’s Danny played for about 40 minutes and he had a happy meal . When I asked if he wanted to pray for the meal he said, “Nobody prayers at MacDonald’s” but he courteously let me go ahead and pray anyway; then Toni picked us up. I had shown him how to work the camera and he took a few practice pictures around the house. We then took our walk; his three year old legs handled the walk really well. Along the way here are a few of the things he saw. He stopped and took these pictures.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
“Oh! So good!”
The Lord was, is and continues to be good! This has been exciting month in the Crocker home! The last two years have been an adventure in faith and in spiritual, mental, emotional, relational, and physical stamina.
The Lord was good when Toni’s dad chose an “elective” heart repair about two years ago so that he could better care for mom as she entered the middle stages of her Alzheimer’s. But the “normal” operation resulted in many weeks of being hospitalized and his real home coming a month after coming back to the ranch.
The Lord was good that fall when Toni discovered “the lump,” and when we heard those words “It is cancer, and it is aggressive.” He was good when we started 2008 with chemo treatments and doctor appointment followed by appointment, over and over again! The Lord was good when we discovered in 2009 that the herceptin treatments had to be stopped because it had caused significant loss of her heart function!
The Lord was good two weeks ago on the Friday before Mother’s Day when we heard the good news from her cardiologist that her heart was doing very well. God was so very good when we heard today from her oncologist that she is “good to go!” We all had a few weepy moments in the doctor’s office knowing that the treatment was successful with no needed visits until Toni has her “six month” check up.
So May has been a good month! David was “in his cave” that he likened to a “prison” when he cried to the Lord that he trusted and had found in his past to be “Oh! So good!” Psalm 142:7, Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.
With David we praise God and want to speak to those who have gather around us. Our Dear Lord has been good by walking with us! He has provided us with great medical care! He has called His children to pray; and they did! He asked them to surround and support us; and they did! He has been “Oh! So good!” He gave us a Shepherding Team at Cheyenne Berean that shepherded us and they were “Oh! So good!”
So forgive us if we take the time to be reminded that He has been “Oh! So good!” and if we take the time to say one more time to you that you have been “Oh! So good!”
The Lord was good when Toni’s dad chose an “elective” heart repair about two years ago so that he could better care for mom as she entered the middle stages of her Alzheimer’s. But the “normal” operation resulted in many weeks of being hospitalized and his real home coming a month after coming back to the ranch.
The Lord was good that fall when Toni discovered “the lump,” and when we heard those words “It is cancer, and it is aggressive.” He was good when we started 2008 with chemo treatments and doctor appointment followed by appointment, over and over again! The Lord was good when we discovered in 2009 that the herceptin treatments had to be stopped because it had caused significant loss of her heart function!
The Lord was good two weeks ago on the Friday before Mother’s Day when we heard the good news from her cardiologist that her heart was doing very well. God was so very good when we heard today from her oncologist that she is “good to go!” We all had a few weepy moments in the doctor’s office knowing that the treatment was successful with no needed visits until Toni has her “six month” check up.
So May has been a good month! David was “in his cave” that he likened to a “prison” when he cried to the Lord that he trusted and had found in his past to be “Oh! So good!” Psalm 142:7, Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.
With David we praise God and want to speak to those who have gather around us. Our Dear Lord has been good by walking with us! He has provided us with great medical care! He has called His children to pray; and they did! He asked them to surround and support us; and they did! He has been “Oh! So good!” He gave us a Shepherding Team at Cheyenne Berean that shepherded us and they were “Oh! So good!”
So forgive us if we take the time to be reminded that He has been “Oh! So good!” and if we take the time to say one more time to you that you have been “Oh! So good!”
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Ranch Day
We went to Gering got mom and went out to the ranch on Monday. Mom is on a steady journey. It was good to be with her.
Took a few shots of the old equipment around the ranch. Another large cottonwood tree has fallen since we were there last.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Daring Danny Does Down
While Janelle and Toni were delivering the “Around Cheyenne” magazine as thier contribution for the upcomg Peru Missions trip, I took Danny to the park for a few minutes.Later today we will take Dayton, Skye and Danny with us to Nebraska so that they can see Mika, Benji and Malichi while I attend a meeting.
It will be a cousin thingy!
("Thingy," Urban Dictionary, "Used to describe an object on the spur of the moment when you have a sudden brain fritz and forget exactly what you were gonna say was.")
Sunday, May 10, 2009
A Rose
How is that such a beautiful flower can exist on the end of such a thorny stem? Mother's Day immediately brings to my mind a rose. This thought might enter my mind because my mom loves rose bushes. That was the traditional gift for my grandmother on Mother's day, not a dozen roses but a rose bush. But today the rose came to mind because motherhood is a lot like a rose. It is amazingly beautiful and fragrant, but it can be awfully thorny. I was pondering the fragrant moments from this week. Mika told me I was her best friend. Benji came into the kitchen at 10pm and saw the mess from my baking and said, "Tomorrow, I will help you clean that up after breakfast." After reading How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? (for the thousandth time!), Malaki said, "How do Malaki's say goodnight? They kiss their mama's." The thing about motherhood is that it is also thorny. There are days when I don't want to have to discipline one more time, there are times when I am tired and can't listen to more chattering (good and bad) and there are times when to be honest I want to go back to bed and start all over again. But the reality is that without thorns there is not a beautiful floweer and so I must take the thorns with the beautifully fragrant flower.
Happy Mother's Day to the most important mom's in my life, thank yo ufor being willing to experience the thorns to get the flower! Happy Mother's Day Mom, there is a rose bush waiting in Kearney for you, thank you for instilling me with a love for my kids, and my husband and be such an amainzing model of a mom that is passionately pursuing her heavenly Father. Barb, Happy Mother's Day to my husband's mother and the grandmother of my children, it was all the thorns you expereienced that lead to me receiving the greatest husband ever. Happy Mother's Day, Janelle, I am praying daily that you feel like you are riding on the wings of eagles and yet feel the joy of living in the shadow of our Father's wings. I cried this morning as I thought of Jonathan, being in Iraq. I know that God is his protector, as well as yours. And finally, Happy Mother's Day to my Grandma! Rarely do I complete a daily chore or finish creating a meal without realizing that I learned so many of these skills from you. Today, I will work on my garden and think of the many times that I wandered in your garden and all that you taught me about tending a garden.
Happy Mother's Day to the most important mom's in my life, thank yo ufor being willing to experience the thorns to get the flower! Happy Mother's Day Mom, there is a rose bush waiting in Kearney for you, thank you for instilling me with a love for my kids, and my husband and be such an amainzing model of a mom that is passionately pursuing her heavenly Father. Barb, Happy Mother's Day to my husband's mother and the grandmother of my children, it was all the thorns you expereienced that lead to me receiving the greatest husband ever. Happy Mother's Day, Janelle, I am praying daily that you feel like you are riding on the wings of eagles and yet feel the joy of living in the shadow of our Father's wings. I cried this morning as I thought of Jonathan, being in Iraq. I know that God is his protector, as well as yours. And finally, Happy Mother's Day to my Grandma! Rarely do I complete a daily chore or finish creating a meal without realizing that I learned so many of these skills from you. Today, I will work on my garden and think of the many times that I wandered in your garden and all that you taught me about tending a garden.
Mika's 9th Birthday
On Friday, Mika celebrated her 9th birthday with a Little Women inspired tea party. She invited seven of her girlfriends and one of her older friends, Mrs. Lillyman, to join her in celebrating. Before the party Mika took some video of the preparation.
Mika helped to plan the menu of, blueberry tea, strawberry lemonade, banana cupcakes, mints, mini cheescakes, cucumber sandwiches, fruit, and scones. It was exciting to pull out the tea cups Papa brought home from India and the tea pot Papa brought home from Minsk. Mika has been dying to use the tea pot. It was its first use in 12 years!
To add to the ambiance we borrowed some dress-up dresses from Mrs. Lillyman. The girls dressed-up in dresses before having tea. Mika enjoyed her time with her friends and wished it could have been longer!
Mika's brothers also wanted to participate. They were quite disappointed when they found out that there was not a place set for them around the table. Benji worked really hard to get their attention and was very sad at the end of the party when we didn't have time to do one of the activities we had planned.
Mika helped to plan the menu of, blueberry tea, strawberry lemonade, banana cupcakes, mints, mini cheescakes, cucumber sandwiches, fruit, and scones. It was exciting to pull out the tea cups Papa brought home from India and the tea pot Papa brought home from Minsk. Mika has been dying to use the tea pot. It was its first use in 12 years!
To add to the ambiance we borrowed some dress-up dresses from Mrs. Lillyman. The girls dressed-up in dresses before having tea. Mika enjoyed her time with her friends and wished it could have been longer!
Mika's brothers also wanted to participate. They were quite disappointed when they found out that there was not a place set for them around the table. Benji worked really hard to get their attention and was very sad at the end of the party when we didn't have time to do one of the activities we had planned.
UNK String Project Concert
Art Projects
One of Mika and Benji's favorite art projects this year was creating these black boxes. After each art lesson, they would come home describing, in detail, the different steps taken.
In Benji's words, "This is a zoo, there is an ostrich, an elephant and a spider. There is a park with a merry-go-round. This is a balloon and a disco ball."
In Mika's words, "There is a burst of sunlight. There is a bed, a table and a sitting down bear."
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Dayton Soccer
Had several appointments today, one of the more important ones to was to watch Dayton play soccer and score a couple of goals.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Heart Report
As a result of her cancer treatments Toni had some heart episodes a number of weeks ago. Today the doctor gave Toni a great report with some witticism about Toni being able to work me to death!We rejoice! Psalm 60:3-4, You have shown your people desperate times; you have given us wine that makes us stagger. But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled...
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Perspective Choice
Ahab: “From storm to storm! So be it, then. Born in throes, 't is fit that man should live in pains and die in pangs. So be it, then! Here's stout stuff for woe to work on. So be it, then.” Moby Dick, by Herman Melville
Psalmist: “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God...” Psalm 84:5-7
Psalmist: “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God...” Psalm 84:5-7
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