Weekend Updates....Rachelle is better, Madeline turned "1", misc. other musings:)

Friday evening we celebrated Madeline's first b-day at Jason and Emily's. She took the whole evening "in stride" and even ate her cake very politely:)

Madeline sitting on her new Little Tikes riding toy....and below enjoying her cake!

We are so excited to report that Rachelle's condition improved and she was able to come home!!! She is still on medicine....but is getting better. There were so many people praying for her and I know this meant so much to Kurt and Heidi. Once again we are so thankful for a network of people that we can connect with almost "immediately" for prayer!!!

On Thursday Ken had a little "bout" with kidney stones:( He was pretty uncomfortable for a while...but but Friday afternoon he was on the mend!! Remember: Drink Water~water~water!!!

I had Thursday and Friday with Grandma this week! Isaac is continuing his piano lessons weekly and is almost half-way through his lesson AND theory books. He seems so interested in learning....so the normal half hour lesson is more like one hour total during the course of the day.

Linda and Don stopped by Saturday night on their way home from Onekama. We enjoyed their visit and topped it off with a cup of coffee and piece of apple pie!!!!

Sunday, Nancy Lanning and I sang special music at church...and Jason accompanied us on his guitar. We sang a good old "toe tapper" song...you know the kind you smile all the while!!! We sang "In The Sweet By and By". Just before we sang I shared a few words that even though we are singing about the "Sweet By and By", we need to be serving our Savior Jesus in the "Here and Now"!! People are watching your testimony and mine...are we sharing with others that blessed hope?

Later Sunday afternoon we went to Onekama and visited with Mom and Dad. Mom is still struggling with discomfort and pain from the compression fractures. Please continue to pray for healing and relief from the pain.

Compared to a year ago I feel so much better emotionally!!! Last year I felt like I was crying half the time because of my scleroderma...the changes in my life...the fatigue...the pain. And now....1 year later...I am not "fearing" the disease anymore...I am still serving God where he leads and needs me...and I have learned to celebrate the "Little things" in my day...instead of the 'big obstacles" I always felt were in front of me!

I have learned to handle the fatigue and ignore the pain....and as for the tears?....just now and then.....but mostly "then".