Happy Halloween!

From our good little witch


and ferocious lion.



This was the first year Little Bug went trick or treating. It took a little coaxing to get her to that first doorstep, but that's all it took for her to get hooked. Soon she was giddily sprinting from house to house. Tank was a trooper and his fearsome looks also scored him some treats that mom and dad enjoyed.

Pumpkin Patch

We love pumpkin patches around here! This year, Little Bug was able to catch her first "real" roller coaster, aka a simple up and down loop. This is the before shot. She was pretty darn excited.


I was too busy consoling her afterwards to snap the after shot.


Now, if only Little Bug would be consistent with what she wants to be for Halloween...

Fight

Recently my dad has had a slew of health problems. About six months ago we found out he has serious heart disease. The doctors were amazed he had not had a heart attack. Especially considering the week before he was diagnosed he had gone snow camping with the scouts. High elevation and cold weather should have slowed his blood flow enough to have caused a massive heart attack. We were grateful to God for his life then.

About three months ago he had a very rare and severe reaction to his heart medication that left his liver unable to function. Such a sever reaction to the medication led the doctors to discover he has stage 4 lymphoma. Usually lymphoma is very treatable. However, he was diagnosed with both the intermediate and aggressive subtypes making it difficult and risky to treat. The doctors had him on chemo days later and stated if the cancer had gone undiagnosed for two more weeks there would not have been anything they could have done. We are grateful such a severe reaction led the doctors to the bigger problem and feel blessed to see the hand of God in his life. I know the Lord will take him when he wants him, I just hope it is not quite yet. I now suddenly have the painful realization I will never be old enough to loose my father.

He is on a particularly hard and rough chemo cycle. He spends two and a half weeks in the hospital and roughly a week and a half at home to complete one round. He needs a total of 6 rounds and should be done with chemo at the end of February/beginning of March next year.

I just had the opportunity to spend 3 weeks at my parents helping out and most importantly visiting my dad daily at the hospital. I am grateful for many things: for the miracle and blessing of his life, for the privilege of having a father who did nothing short of providing me with a wonderful life and ever inspiring example of generosity and goodness, and for the fight he has within him.

It should be mentioned...

I turned 30 and am thereby now suddenly filled with all the wisdom, knowledge and experience to be taken seriously in life.

I was still at my parents on my birthday, so Andrew surprised me by flying into town early! It was so nice to share my 30th surrounded by family, including my father. Little Bug helped put the candles on my tart and I laughed when I saw a candle so creatively placed right in the center of a tasty raspberry.