Always Hope in Jesus

This post is mainly for all the people who still check up on and pray for Granton and our family but who don't really have any contact with other than this blog.  I really want to put some family pictures on this blog but, right now we don't have the right hook up to do it.  I know it is not that hard for most, but we don't have a home computer and that makes it a little tougher.  We are still doing well and pretty much living like a normal busy family with three little ones.  I am mainly reporting that Granton is attending school now.  It is really cool because many of his teachers recognized his name or actually bought a "Don't Worry, PRAY" Granton shirt that was such a popular thing to have five and a half years ago.  Do you remember those shirts?  Do you remember the story behind them.  Do you remember those months when we were posting two or three times a day with the new dilemma that doctors found that was going to be the final straw and take Granton's life? They are memories burned into my heart forever, but praise the Lord they are only MEMORIES and no longer realities. It is really a blessing.  I still remember hoping against all hope that I would get to see him go to school.  I remember, being told so many times how unlikely it would be for him to leave the PICU alive and how even if this happened, he would always have extreme limitations on his development and not live a full life.  He still does have to have a shot every week but other than that, he has NO limitations! He was reading before the first day of school started, he is one of the tallest kids in his class, and many people have remarked that he is very athletic.  Also, Granton LOVES school.  He comes to the high school weight room with me every morning before school and from there gets on a bus for the short trip to the primary building.  He is always urging me to hurry up and finish my workout because he can't wait to get on the bus.  This sounds like I am bragging, and actually I am a little, but I wanted to remind all of you that prayed and still pray for us that God has answered our prayers.  Many teachers have stated that they just can't believe that this is the same kid who had such a hopeless future.  I am here to say "BELIEVE IT BABY!"  there is always hope in our Lord and Savior JESUS CHRIST. 

Doing Well

We obviously haven't posted in a long time.  This is a good thing because the kids have been doing well.   We have been very busy, but it is normal family busy and not the busy living at a hospital busy many of you have read about on this blog before.  I just finished up another school year with a great showing at the state track meet.  Since then, Jenni and I have taken the family camping and gone to a FCA coaches retreat.  Granton starts kindergarten this year and we thought we would get him ready with summer school.  He loves it.  He gets himself up and dressed on his own and bugs me to hurry and drive him in even though we are usually the first ones to school anyway.  Kaylynn misses him but has been helping Jenni with Carver more.  Anyway, we are doing well.  The boys have been fine.  Thank you for your continued prayers.

Valentine Poem by Daniel

"What Love Is"

What is love...
Is it long walks on the shore and nothing more?
Is it listening to a romantic band as you hold someone's hand?
Is it long intimate nights under candle lights?
Is it deep sighs, dramatic cries, and long looks into others eyes?
YES it is all the things mentioned before, but it is so SO much more!

Love is cleaning up puke all night and into the morning past four, when you're already exhausted and tired through your core.
Love is not just getting a treat that is delicious chocolate and sweet.
It is forgetting how sick you feel when you get up to fix your family their meal.
Love is stretching a few pennies and a dime, all of the time.
Love draws closer together, through the stormy weather.
Love does not divide! It stays side by side no matter how turbulent the ride.

When love's children are sick it holds strong, all through the night and into the dawn.
Love gets on its knees and sends up tear-filled pleas.
Love overcomes fright when it prays through the night with all its might.
Love has the courage to sacrifice ALL in order to help the other after a fall.
Love does not say "This valley is too deep" and decide to stop.
It pushes through all the way to the Mountain top!

Love is patient and kind and forgiving, for as long as it is living.
Love stands STRONG all night, all day and all life long!
Love is Daniel Lee and Jenni Sue and all the things they have gone and will go through!

Pictures

Carver's One Year Anniversary

Yesterday Carver celebrated his happy transplant birthday.  It was especially happy for us for a few reasons.  First of all, Carver is a very healthy boy.  Outside of the Type 1 diabetes, he is much better off one year out than Granton was at that time.  Both boys are very healthy and active.  Another reason yo celebrate is last week Carver spent the night in KC and had a little surgery to remove his port.  He made it through just fine.  It in nice to pick him up now and not feel it under his skin.  He is a happy boy who is quite a chunk.  Kaylynn was always so little and Granton was ill when he was Carver's age so it is nice to have a filled out guy.  He is very happy and starting to make sounds that he thinks are words.  Anyway, we know what he means.  It mostly involves food.  Thanks for praying for the little pork chop and his brother also.  We are still praying healing of Granton's B cells and Carver's diabetes, but we are spending more time thanking God for the miracles he have us and enjoying them.

I am happy to report that I have nothing to report.  All the kids are doing just as well as they were in the last post I made.  I know many people still check in on us from time to time through this blog so I will just give a little update.  Granton just turned five.  He loved all his presents.  So did I.  He is old enough that he is finally starting to get cool stuff like GI Joes and Transformers.  We are playing together more than ever.  Kaylynn loves to dress up.  She wears one of her two Snow White dresses six days out of every seven.  Little Carver is not little.  In fact, he has earned the name Thunderbutt.  He is by far thicker than the other kids and eats anything, ANYTHING, he can get his hands on.  We really have to watch him very closely and make sure the others don't leave any food laying around.  He will eat it and spike his blood sugar the second he gets a chance.  He has been walking for at least a month now which mean he can get into a lot more trouble.  It is funny to watch him lumber around.  As for Jenni and I, we have have learned take one day at a time.  We are learning that the closer we walk with God, the easier the journey is.  Our life is not the easiest but it is by far not the hardest ether.  We know we are blessed.  After a few talks with doctors this summer, I don't think we will ever understand how blessed we are to have Granton with us as healthy as he is.  Oh yea, he and a bunch of kids his age raced the other day.  Granton won; he won big!  The track coach in me has already noticed this kid is fast and he hates to get beat at anything!

  Thank You God so much for your grace and countless blessings.

New Responsibility

Well, we have a new responsibility with Carver.  It looks like he has type 1 diabetes.  Jenni and I are dealing with this as best as we can.  We have learned how to count carbs like pros.  We have to be very careful because he is so little that he is VERY sensitive and his numbers swing around a lot.  He is happy and does not mind the constant poking.  This has been very hard for us to swallow.  Carver had been the one with the home run transplant.  Now it looks like the transplant or at least his donor was the cause for this condition.  I am still praying for Carver to be healed of this.  God has seen us through so much and I know he will carry us through this also.  On an up note his IGG numbers are doing very well and the little man stands on his own when he does not know we are watching and he is about to walk.  Thank you for continued prayers.