Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the Harkins!

We celebrate the birth of our Saviour, Christ the Lord!

smiles to warm up your heart!

It may be cold outside, but we have a little boy at our house who brings us joy! Here are a few pictures for you of Elijah enjoying a new activity: "jumping" on the big exercise ball. You can see how much he enjoys it!

It doesn't happen all the time, but occasionally something 'clicks' for Elijah, and he starts to jump for real (i.e. kicking up his own legs). This is where he gets so excited that he wiggles his whole body to the point that it's hard to hold onto him! We have even heard him SQUEAL!!

Here Elijah is supervising the cookie-baking process. Notice he is also guarding the chocolate chips. Todd and Elijah did a good job, because the cookies turned out great! (Don't I have a fabulous husband?)

Christmas cheer

I have to confess that since we moved to Idaho, I haven't done much "interior design". Our house is tiny, and on top of that we are renting. Originally we only planned to be in this place six months, and I didn't want to spend very much on furniture or decor if we were moving in half a year. (We owned a bed and one chair when we moved here! We did break down enough to buy a couch.)

Well, we've been here eight months now...and when I started putting little Christmas touches here and there, I realized that it is just the small things that make a place feel like home. It doesn't need to take a huge chunk of cash to make it cute. It also doesn't have to look like "Pottery Barn".

Some kind friends from church let us cut some evergreens from their property, and with all of that fabulous stuff to work with, I got creative...


This is in the corner of my kitchen. I don't know what the red berries are, but I risked life and limb to get them last Saturday when we were driving in the mountains. Just ask my husband...

You are looking at about half of our living room! I love the way the greenery looks on the windowsills. See the snow falling peacefully outside? The bow-on-the-pillow idea I got from my my friend Shilo's post.

This is Elijah, all cozy on the couch, and all smiles because he just got out of bed.

Here's a picture from last weekend's drive in the back country (home of the red berries).

This is what happens when a small boy decides to skip his nap. Some things just can't be avoided...

P.S. Todd is not nearly as grumpy as he looks!

trekkin' it to the hospital

Today Elijah had his second and hopefully final SPECT scan. This is so we can compare the blood-flow and activity in his brain before and after hyperbaric oxygen therapy. We'll let you know in a few weeks about the results.

Happily, we both kept noticing today that things didn't seem as stressful as they had three months ago for the first scan. (Thank you, Lord!) Elijah was very happy on the way to the hospital even with an empty stomach. Then he responded almost immediately to the oral medication they sedated him with. Last time, he cried and fought sleep for probably 30 minutes. Today he was asleep within 5 -- and SOUND asleep. We were laughing at how fast he went!

The other thing that has a big impact on how much stress we feel is our attitude - whether we keep a sense of humor especially! I am thankful that God helped us in so many ways today just to relax. We even had an awesome conversation with the recovery nurse about the Lord.


Praising you, Jesus, for all your blessings...for giving us a great day in a place we would rather not be. All for Your glory!

done, done, done!!

Elijah and I are finally home after our two-month odyssey. No more traveling, no more living out of a suitcase, no more being separated from my husband! Elijah's 40 hyperbaric oxygen treatments are DONE! It was a terrific feeling to step out of the chamber the last time and think "I don't have to come back here tomorrow".

We're so thankful for the opportunity we had to do this therapy, and we continue to see new (good) things changing for Elijah. I am really happy that his muscles seem to be less tight, and that makes standing and stretching more comfortable. For example, before HBOT, Elijah seemed to equate being in his stander (a device that holds him in an upright position) with torture! Today he spent 15-20 minutes standing without any fussing at all.

I am also so, so excited that Elijah's drooling has nearly stopped! He literally owns a small drawerful of bibs, and before HBOT I probably changed his his soaking-wet bib 5-8 times a day. He hasn't worn a bib for days now (although he drools a tiny bit here and there still). I would really like to take all of those bibs from the drawer, cut them into small pieces and then throw them in the trash with a celebratory whoop, but I convinced myself to wait. I might need them while Elijah learns to handle food.

Another great thing we're noticing is that Elijah's vision seems to be improving; at the very least, he is making more of an attempt to locate us, and seems to be focusing more. Praise the Lord for all of these wonderful improvements!

Yesterday was the last treatment, so today I spent cleaning and unpacking. I am so glad to be...home.

FOUR...

...YEARS!!!

Dear Todd,

I didn't know when I married you all that life would hold (and of course, 'life' has only been four years!), but I do know that you are the best earthly gift God's ever given me. Thanks for pulling me up out of the ditches I get stuck in to see the view - for making me laugh. Thanks for persevering with faithful, commitment-based love during the hard times and for teaching me to do this, too. I'm so grateful for you...I love you and think you are the best!!!

Love, Julie

an acre of land and a mile of heartbreak

Looking for a little piece of land to buy, we pulled into her driveway last Sunday. An acre of land contained an ancient mobile home squatting near the road. Two small children, a girl and a boy, were playing outside and clad in all their winter gear. She came too, when she saw us, carrying a little boy with chicken-pox scabs on his face.

Yes, she was selling. She liked the place, but things hadn't worked out with...'their dad', she said, gesturing to the little girl and boy. Ahhh.

We walked around with them for a bit, trying not to step in the leftovers from the donkey they had just given away. She explained how they drank the (filtered) water from the creek running through, and I looked again at those donkey apples and swallowed.

We had come there straight from church in our "nice" clothes. I noticed the little girl looking at my dress. I wished fiercely that I had worn my raggiest jeans and dirtiest tennis shoes.

Where will you go, we asked, when you sell this place? Oh, she wasn't sure yet, she answered, but maybe back to Oregon to be closer to her mom. And the little children just stood there, their sad, serious faces looking up at us. I could see past her front of confidence to the utter forlorn-ness of this woman and her children, and I wanted to cry.

...

"Thank you, baby, for not leaving me." I whisper the words. It is hours later, and I'm sure I don't make sense. "Thank you for being committed to me." Understanding, and both of us thinking about the little family from earlier, I am wrapped in a strong armed hug. In that hug, I breathe a silent prayer of gratefulness.

Thank you, thank you, Lord...that I am not alone today.

...

please pray that we will faithfully use this 'connection' as an opportunity to share the message of Jesus Christ with this woman - we know He has hope, peace, and joy to give her!

a new life!

This is our beautiful new niece who was all of a few hours old. She was born this past weekend, and we got to meet her while she was 'still new'! We drove to the Seattle area and back in one day - whew - but we would do it again in a heartbeat. There was something so incredibly special about meeting our niece the day she was born. Such a miracle, such a celebration, such a gift!


Seeing her also brought back a lot of memories of Elijah. As Todd said, sometimes we don't realize how much we missed, but holding her made the things we did miss all the more evident.

...


I never held my own child the day he was born. I saw him only twice for just a few moments. I will never forget the first glimpse, because he was limp and purple and dangling like a ragdoll from the doctor's hands. Then he was whisked away and surrounded by scrub-wearing strangers.


The second time I was still in my blood-stained gown and barely able to walk. Somehow I made it to the nursery so I could meet him. There he was, not quite cleaned up, wires all over and hooked up to a respirator. His eyes were closed and he looked very, very sick. He didn't move, except for something that the nurse said was a seizure. However, one little eye opened for a second when he heard his mommy. Todd and I were weeping and trying to sing 'Jesus Loves Me' when the helicopter people came to take him.


In the following days, I could only lean over the clear plastic bed where he lay in the NICU and sob, breathing in his newborn smell. I thought I would be crying for the rest of my life, especially after the doctors told us our child would probably never walk or talk.


Those were some of the memories that came flooding back this weekend. I had a hard time writing them down. I guess some things will always be pretty raw. Pain is somehow beautiful, you know? As much as God has taught me because of Elijah -- and knowing that he is one of the greatest blessings of my life -- I never want to lose the memory of how much those days hurt. Not that I want to dwell or live in a perpetual state of grief, but I want to remember the brokenness.


Sounds like something only a crazy person would write, but I will always be grateful for the intensity of that pain, because it has changed me. It's taken me deeper into Jesus Christ. I know His beauty, I know His comfort. I know a strength that goes beyond the limits of human endurance -- not my own, but God's. And because of that I am looking forward to seeing Him whenever He gets here, or I go there. I'll be runnin' to meet my God...


Come soon, Lord Jesus!


...



Grandma and 2/3rds of her grandkids!

Two sweeter faces could not be found...we praise you, God, for this new baby girl!

then there were three...

Here are some recent pictures that Todd's mom took on a Sunday afternoon...there were probably at least 30 pictures and this is the only one I like! We did have a blast laughing, though. If you know my hilarious husband, you can appreciate that.

I love, love, love that Elijah is looking at the camera in this shot! Pretty unusual, so I guess Grandma must have done a good job on the 'crazy grandma antics' as she clicked the shutter!

Me and my boy...

The men of the household! Elijah seems to be developing an Elvis-smile...I think that little crooked smile is adorable (on Elijah, at least)!

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Thought we'd fill you on Elijah's therapy: today we finished #23 of 40. So we are past the half-way point, where the doctor said we would probably start seeing some changes. We are seeing good things so far, but it is too early to know whether they're here to stay!

So far, Elijah:
- is drooling less
- is having fewer seizures
- has more "happy times"
- was happy in his car seat for 90 minutes (a first in his life)
- seems more alert
- seems to be 'tracking' more with his eyes

"I'm praising you, Lord, for these GIFTS!"

a smile from my son...

We have it down to a routine, these past few weeks...

Drive to the hyperbaric clinic, take Elijah out of the car and put him in his chair. Wheel inside and head for the dressing room. Change clothes, change diaper, give Elijah a snack through his g-tube. 'Hurry, have him ready to go by 11:30.'

Then one day last week, in the midst of all the hurry and preparation, I stopped everything. Because there on the changing table, my little boy looked at me. Not just in my direction but eye to eye. That alone was miracle enough, but then...

he smiled at me.

Tears spilled while I talked to my son, drinking in that precious moment, holding his eyes as long as it lasted.

more cider-pressing pics

We had so much fun pressing cider, we had to post a few more pictures.

These are some of our friends from church - they were kind enough to let us use their cider press. First you put apples in the hopper and turn the crank...



Next, you turn a threaded press which squeezes out the final drops of juice.


Then you filter the cider and pour into a jug!

Everyone has fun -- even watching cider-making! (Todd actually did a large share of the work...he did not "watch" the whole time, of course!)

But most of all, we like how cider tastes.

a little photo journaling

Pictures from last weekend's cider pressing...

Elijah wasn't very happy to sit in his chair alone, so we watched the cider pressers together from the sideline and took pictures!

Todd's hands...more cider pictures to come!

This is Elijah's "cousin", who surprised us with a visit last night!

Elijah's little friend was so sweet, talking to him and putting toys all around him. :) She came for a visit with her mom and little bro', just to keep us company here.


I'm playing catch-up with this picture. This is Elijah and his cousin, B., enjoying time a few weeks ago near Seattle. I think the little boys are so cute together, one without a shirt and one without pants. (They just got up.)

This is a very, very sleepy Elijah getting his SPECT scan done three weeks ago.

I wish Elijah looked happier on this picture, but here he is with the bubble he wears during the hyperbaric oxygen therapy (without the air tubes attached). I think he was trying to say that he had had enough bubble-wearing for one day!!

This is a worn-out little guy in front of the hyperbaric oxygen chamber. It's huge!


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"Ahhhhhh..." -- that's how I felt when Todd's Mom arrived a few days ago to help us. Taking care of Elijah alone is not easy, and I can feel the extra lifting and carrying (without Todd to help) in my bones. I am so relieved now that Mom Harkins is here!

Thank you, Lord, for sending help now...

just like You have so many times in the past

when I felt like I couldn't go on.

We finished hyperbaric oxygen treatment #14! Just 26 to go. Whether or not this is a benefit from the hbot, I can't say, but we do have a big praise: Elijah went to sleep for his nap today WITHOUT CRYING! I'm not sure if that has ever happened in his entire life.

It's Friday, and we have decided to stay in our borrowed house for the weekend. Todd is coming in a few hours - yay!! Hmmm, I just realized that we'll have a free babysitter for the next few days and we're close to a "big" city...I think we should take advantage of this!!

a book and fresh apple cider!

I'm having computer/camera problems, so haven't been able to post a picture of Elijah wearing his 'bubble' in the oxygen chamber yet - sorry!

I am once again relishing my weekend 'home' (where is home, anyway?)...and especially my husband!! A few weeks ago we started reading a book to each other in the evenings. We don't have TV, but even without that distraction we found we needed something to draw us close and help us talk. I highly recommend it! Right now we're reading "The Most Important Place on Earth" by Robert Wolgemuth. It describes "what a Christian home looks like and how to build one", and it is chock-full of practical ideas.

I love not only the book but also being snuggled up to my husband on the couch while Elijah is trying to fall asleep (i.e. crying in the next room!). I suppose we are learning about the 'intentionality' that is so needed to stay close in marriage. Without a goal (reading together), it would be easy to fall into the habit of doing our own thing in the evenings.

Todd is in the backyard, loading apples into the pickup truck. A friend of ours from church is going to help us make apple cider tonight...I can't wait for a nice cold glass of fresh-pressed cider!

Elijah has gotten a little cold over the weekend, so please pray that he'll be able to continue on Monday with his therapy if that's what the Lord would have. He has seemed a little happier lately, and we are thankful for that! He is also getting used to being in the oxygen chamber and didn't cry much the last few days. So far we are 9 (treatments) down, and 31 to go! We are so grateful for the opportunity Elijah has to do this therapy, and that our doctors here seem to be behind us (or openly supportive).

apples...astronauts

Perfect reds and yellows all gathered into bags and boxes...

Today we were given bags and bags of lovely apples by a complete stranger! Recently, Todd had stopped at a nearby farm to ask permission to hunt. The elderly lady of the place did not permit hunters, but said we were welcome to have some apples instead. So, today we brought a few buckets and a box to her farm, and she not only loaded those full but insisted we take more.

I just learned about another family's tradition to have a 'gratefulness box' where they wrote on slips of paper about little or big gifts to thank the Lord for. On Thanksgiving, the box was opened and the gifts were all read aloud. I want to start that tradition in our little family...

'Thank you, Lord for the beautiful apples'!

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It has been GREAT to be home for the weekend! I am trying not to think about the fact that I will be leaving again on Monday. Maybe I'll drive home on Wednesday just for the night, so I don't have to stay away the entire week.

Elijah's treatments are going well - we have done four so far. He wears a little bubble over his head in the oxygen chamber and looks like a very short astronaut. He doesn't really like wearing his bubble, i.e. he cries for a large part of the 90 minutes we're in the chamber. The doctor told us that we probably will not see any effects until we complete at least twenty treatments.

Father, You are sovereign, and YOU decide the outcome of each life, and whether it seem good or bad to us...you can be trusted.

2 down, 38 to go...

We have begun! Elijah had his SPECT scan on Monday, and we were successful in doing the scan without having to use general anesthetic (for which I am thankful).

On Tuesday, things were good to go with our paperwork and Elijah started his hyperbaric oxygen therapy! He goes once a day, five times per week, and we will be doing this for the next eight weeks (a total of 40 treatments). The clinic is 90 minutes from our house, but some kind friends have given Elijah and I a place to stay during the weekdays. We'll go home on weekends. Please pray that God will give us grace to be apart as a family, and that Elijah will show GREAT improvement over the next few weeks.

another try!

Monday (October 6) is the new date for Elijah's SPECT scan! We are hoping that all the paperwork will have cleared and Elijah will also be able to start Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Monday or Tuesday as well. We are excited and thankful for this opportunity...and are asking the Lord to use this to do great things in Elijah's life.

We are praying for the small (yet huge) things to improve as a result of HBOT, like his sleep habits, his reflux issues, and the irritability that we have dealt with for most of the past two and a half years. We don't write much about Elijah's fussiness here, and most of the pictures you see are of a happy little boy. Elijah has improved from being a baby who cried constantly to a little guy that IS very content and "smilie" (when he wakes up in the morning or right after a nap)...and those times absolutely melt us!! They help make up for the rest of the day when he is crying and wanting to be held.

So, so many times I fight the urge to not compare our lives with what they would be like were Elijah 'normal'. Most of the comparisons I'm tempted to make don't just involve what Elijah would be doing, but how much more peaceful life would be if Elijah wouldn't cry the entire time he's in his carseat, or scream while grocery-shopping with me, or have to cry hours just to fall asleep -- at least not on an every-day basis.

So, while I am very thankful for all the progress Elijah has made, it just feels like we have been operating under a lot of stress as a family for a long time. We can keep going, and we will...because the Lord is our strength, and He gives times of incredible JOY despite hard circumstances! However, it would THRILL us to no end if Elijah could make some improvements that would make taking care of him easier for his Mommy and Daddy!

We don't want to limit God to the "small" improvements, though. We know it's way beyond unlikely -- more like impossible -- but we are praying that Elijah will be able to walk and talk someday. Nothing is too hard for God. Maybe the Lord will use the hyperbaric oxygen therapy to accomplish those things. Maybe not, and maybe He won't ever choose to. Whatever the case, we are so thankful for our little boy, for the God we serve, and for the prayers of His people.

no SPECT scan

Thursday morning (yesterday), Elijah woke up with a cold. He is rarely sick. Todd and I both immediately thought that "God is preventing this SPECT scan for some reason". (Due to the sedation used, Elijah's congestion would be bad combined with anesthesia.) So, no scan today...and later on, we found out that perhaps some things had been overlooked concerning insurance coverage. For whatever the reason, things have postponed again.

I am frustrated at how long this process is taking for Elijah to get hyperbaric oxygen therapy. We have been working on this for months...and have spent many hours researching, talking to people on the phone, and trying to arrange the details. It is a full-time job to juggle my child's medical care and schedule!! :) I'm not sure how one little boy can be so complicated, but I think I'm going to start calling myself his administrative assistant.

Whenever I start stressing over the time it's taking to get started with HBOT, I feel a little tug inside my heart...the Lord saying, "Rest...it's in My hands". So while I continue to do all possible, the stress is not mine to take. God knows the perfect time for Elijah's brain to receive this therapy.

Elijah's "crawling"!

Tear-Jerker Alert: You might cry if you watch this!

This is a video of Elijah today in his 'crawligator'...and it's the best he's ever done. An AMAZING gift from our God! You will hear Traci, Elijah's P.T., practically screaming. :)

Thank you, Lord, for these fumbled and imperfect, yet blissfully beautiful movements of hands and feet...

for eyes to see You work...

for allowing me to feel a joy so deep it aches.

Will you thank Him with me? You who have prayed and loved and labored with us for this precious child.

just living life

Here we are in our raggies after picking huckleberries and then driving to the "top of the mountain", with it's alpine lake. So beautiful, and SO COLD! We finally started a fire to warm up our toes.
This is Mr. Elijah getting a head start on working with shaving cream. His physical therapist, Traci, is always coming up with fun ideas for our little guy, and we love her!

We wanted you to know about two things that are heavy on our hearts.

The first concern is that Elijah has pretty much stopped drinking from a bottle. After literally hundreds (if not thousands) of hours working with him, it would be incredibly discouraging if all that effort seemed to go out the window. In the Philippines, Elijah also stopped eating for a week. Since he didn't have a g-tube then, it meant our only choice was to feed him with an eye-dropper and he ended up dehydrated and in the hospital. Thankfully, we are not under that level of stress now...and we are extra thankful for his life-saving g-tube! We're not sure what's happening, but it would be great if Elijah could continue to eat on his own.

The second thing is a new type of therapy being used for children (and adults) with brain injuries called hyperbaric oxygen therapy. We have this treatment available to us, but because it is not widely medically recognized, Elijah's medicaid probably will not cover this. Elijah will have a SPECT brain scan done next week to document the blood flow that his brain is currently receiving. Then we plan to do the hyperbaric oxygen therapy, followed by another SPECT scan. IF (and that's a big "if") we can document a functional change in Elijah as well as improved oxygen to his brain, perhaps we can convince our insurance or medicaid to cover the cost. However, money isn't the biggest issue to us, although it is a factor. We are mostly just encouraged that there is a tiny gleam of "hope" for kids like Elijah! We have been cautioned so many times not to get our hopes up, and that improvement is not guaranteed. We know, we know...but how can we not try?

Thanks for caring about our little boy. It is yet to be revealed how many gifts have been given to us because of your prayers.

Sending a hug,

Julie

grace

I see her walking on the street just ahead of our car. I know she sees us. She picks up her pace, leaving her friend behind, disappearing behind the building before we can say 'hello'.

I seethe inside. Just how many times, Lord, have we tried to reach out to this girl? I can't even count. Why, too, am I surprised at the sting? It should come as no surprise. "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." -- John 15:18

My anger reveals what's inside my own heart...bitterness, judgment, and lack of grace. So often, lately, it seems I am confronting those attitudes within. I've also been thinking about how I sometimes greet people I categorize as "different than me". A subtle reserve, a tiny lack of warmth...cleverly hidden, probably not noticeable but to my closest friends and God.

Break my glossed-over pride, Father...make me aware of how great my sin-debt is to you, and how much You love the ones around me. Teach me how to love despite rejection; how to be real and still love like You do.

yeah, we are the yak wrestlers

This is a family of yaks that our friend owns. One of the calves needed an ear tag, so guess who they asked to help: Todd the cowboy and his Dad. Here is the calf after being lassoed by Todd and about to be taken down and given an earring. The tackling of the calf seemed to be a fun challenge for all the men involved.
Elijah and Grandma (and mommy!) stayed at a safe distance where we couldn't see any blood. Elijah was the typical boy and begged to be let go of so he could get in on the excitement. (Just kidding, but it is fun putting words in his mouth.)

huckleberries and Banff

Just thought you might like a peek at our delectable breakfasts lately...fresh nectarines and huckleberries that we picked ourselves. Soooo good! Huckleberries are my new favorite food, I think! They are selling in town for close to $50/gallon. I think that the refreshment we gain from picking them off the mountains is reason enough not to buy them! Imagine yourself with huckleberry-stained fingers, gulping in beautiful fresh air while you ravenously gaze at God's majesty all around, tasting these wildly good purple berries as you go -- and I think you get the picture! These two pictures are some of Elijah's expressions when I come to get him in the morning. He is always so happy when he first gets up. It's my favorite time of day with him.

We were so blessed with a quick trip to Banff, Canada just over a week ago. We went to meet up with my brother and his friend who were on their way back from Alaska. We left after Todd finished work, pulled into the campsite about midnight and crashed! Elijah and I slept in the van, and it was our first experience with using Elijah's feeding pump away from electrical outlets. No problems!

'Beauty' does nothing to describe what we saw. I am awed by a God whose creativity knows no limits.
We found a trail that Elijah's chair did pretty well on, at least for a little way. Maybe we're going to have to look into sled dogs for Elijah when we go hiking...


Todd's parents have been here for a few days, so we'll keep you posted on our adventures with them. They are a huge blessing to us!

freedom

Floating on his back, with eyes big and the tiniest hint of a smile, he kicked his legs and moved his arms with determination. So happy and relaxed. The warm water freed him, no longer a prisoner wanting to wiggle yet held inside a body that doesn't cooperate.

Watching, the therapist whispered, "Oh Julie...it brings tears to my eyes to see him with such pleasure on his face. He is enjoying this so much. It's like he is truly in his body and able to use it."

Grateful hearts for little blessings today, Lord...for seeing my child enjoy his world and be able to move.

playing in the wind and water

Last weekend we all got to go sailing! Todd has been a crew member this summer on the pretty boat, the Firefly, and they race on Thursday nights. The owner of the boat let Elijah and I come along last Saturday. So peaceful - so beautiful. Nothing but the sounds of the wind in the sails and the water spraying as the boat skimmed through.
"Dad, this life-jacket feels a bit like a strait jacket to me..."

the handsome Harkins men
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Sometimes I feel like I am part of a social experiment labeled: 'How American Culture Responds to the Abnormal and the Handicapped'. Elijah and I went grocery shopping together a few days ago. It was "Fresh Friday", so the store was packed out. No handicapped parking and no shopping carts. (Elijah is in his little chair, so our system is to grab a cart and park it in an aisle, returning when my arms/basket get full so we can deposit the groceries in the cart.)

Since the store was full, I knew I could probably count on lots of strange looks. Thankfully, this was not a day of raw emotions...my 'game face' was on and I was ready. We started our shopping, finally getting a cart, and the mental volleyball began. Ok, there's a strange look coming our way. Right back atcha with a smile, buddy. And so it went, as we ventured through the produce and the dairy aisle.

I feel like God is building a confidence and strength in me through this sweet life with Elijah, and that is all for HIS glory and because of HIS grace. People (myself included) are so bound up in what is physical and what can be seen on the outside. When I feel like we are being pitied, I think, "They don't know what I have. They don't know what an absolute treasure this little boy is." I wish I could shout it from the roof tops that we are not to be pitied, because we are blessed!

Thank you, Father, for Your gifts that take my breath away. Like azure sky filling spaces between tree-lined peaks. Like a little boy with soft brown curls who brings so much joy. Like learning how to really love, to give, to see people with Your eyes.

good times

The month of July has been PACKED with good times! The next three shots are still from our trip to Montana.

Do you notice the number of cowboy hats there are in this picture? Definitely not your everyday headgear where I come from in Wisconsin.


Elijah and some of his beautiful (girl) and handsome (boy) cousins. All fabulous people.

We took this road heading home to Idaho from Montana. I love this picture! Two ways to tell if a road is NOT on the beaten path: 1) the cows have free range, and 2) there is grass growing between the wheel tracks.

Elijah says, "I just wanna get out of this cage, Mom!"

We were able to go on a bike ride in Idaho with Todd's aunt, uncle, and cousins! They not only lent us gear (including the little trailer) but put up with a multitude of stops checking on the little guy. Our bike ride was sooooo good for me. I was so happy to feel like a "normal person" again. To attempt a day like this would have been out of the question for most of the past two years. Elijah was a trooper, and I was so thankful for...everything.


The trail we took was called the Hiawatha, and it was approximately 14 (?) miles long. It had nine tunnels and is built over a railroad. Here is one of the trestles, and we are the pinheads waving.
My wonderful brother Jesse came for a visit! He is on a manly motorcycle adventure, driving from Wisconsin to Alaska. Here he is with his fellow motorcycle buddy, Seth, and Todd. These three guys did some off-roading in the mountains.
"Oh no, Dad's sleeping. How am I gonna get out of here? Help me, help me, Mom..."
Our latest thrill has been picking huckleberries in the mountains. (Elijah watches for bears while we pick, and Todd carries the bear deterrent.) This was the first berry-finding mission (we didn't even know what huckleberries LOOKED like), accompanied by our friends below...
Patience and I went to Bible school together a LONG time ago. We have a lot of fun and crazy memories together. This is my dear friend Patience and her husband, Brian.
Huckleberry cobbler and icecream!