Well, Aren't WE a Crazy Bunch....

Just thought I'd post a few random photos taken over the summer and autumn that included members of this crazy family.




Let's start off with Jake.


Looks normal enough...... a little dirty....


Wait!


Is that cow manure on your face, Jake?

And what exactly is that on the back of your head? A pony tail?

No, I believe it is NOT a pony tail but, in fact, a COW tail.....

You're nuts, Jake.

Here's a picture of Jared with our "adopted sons" Matthew and Christopher.

The boys were having fun going through the costume box and found these vests. Next thing I know, the boys' beginner fiddles were pulled out and Jared was trying to teach them a song whilst conducting the "orchestra" with a file that is actually used for sharpening the chainsaw!

Here they are from the backside..... they look like a couple of Dutch maidens.

I had to include this photo of Jon's baby. She was born in 1996. Jon loves his baby even more than ME! After taking a bit of a break, he is excited to get her back on the road within the next week or two.

So Jake and two soccer buddies decide they need to get mullet hair cuts as they approached the season finals. Unfortunately, the mullets were not good luck, as they lost that game which knocked them out of the finals. At least he didn't wear the cow's tail to the game!

This is Jake on the left with his friends Joel (center) and Brandon (right), showing the side view of their new hairdo's.

Here's a photo of me with my two sisters. Left to right is Wannett, Danielle, and me, Michelle. We were asked to sing a song at the first fundraiser that was held in Waupoos.

I must include a photo of my nephews Bruce, Fraser, and Jackson....

..... as well as my nieces, Beulah and Hilda..... I mean, Celia and Abby.

I just HAVE to include this photo. This is Blake when we were at Kingston General Hospital waiting to have the gastroscopy done. We were waiting in the hallway for them to finish up with some other patients. I was standing at the end of the gurney, so as to stay out of the way of other gurneys that were being shuffled around. I felt something touching my hip, and it was Blake's toe brushing back and forth.

I thought he was trying to get my attention, so I went up to him and leaned over him and said, "Did you want something honey?" Blake takes a breath and, with his eyes still closed, says, "Iiiiiiii Love Youuuuuu....." I think my heart burst right at that moment and fell out onto the floor. It was so nice to hear him actually being nice to me! (Not feeling well had changed his attitude into quite a grouch, so it was wonderful to hear him actually be kind!) And THAT's why I will treasure this photo!

When Blake was first hospitalized in Picton, before we knew the extent of damage to his intestines, Blake was given a form of morphine to alleviate some pain. Jake decided he could give Blake some "happy medicine" straight from the earth of Prince Edward County..... he took some "grass" (it was actually grass that had been cut from the lawn... so don't panic or report us or anything!) and he rolled it in some paper. Blake was excited that he had his very own "doobie". Jake assured Blake it was for medicinal purposes only; however, we were not allowed to smoke in the building. hahahhahaaa

This photo is of my sister Danielle and my Mom. It was taken moments before the ambulance transferred Blake from Picton Hospital to Kingston on Oct 2nd. (Thanks, Todd & Chris, for the safe travelling you provided for m' boy.) Dani is giving Blake a wet willy before his ambulance ride.

(PS) - Happy Birthday Mom! (today, Nov 22nd).... 68 years young!

Our adopted son, Billy, wanted to ensure his best friend arrived safely in Kingston, so I told him I would ride with him in his car so he knew where to park and how to get to the right spot in the hospital. He gave us a hard time in getting his picture taken, so I had to use my Mommy Muscles.

When we were at Picton Hospital for the first stay, Blake received a bib from the Ladies Hospital Auxiliary. They are helpful volunteers who come around to assist those who need help being fed or opening up some of their containers and drinks, etc. They supply bibs, so I made Blake wear it in case he made a mess on his beautifully professionally designed hospital gown. He got silly when I went to take his picture with Jackson and he started drooling on the bib. You can't really notice it, but trust me... it's there! He's such a kook!

Before Wannett headed off to the Toronto airport to head to Kenya, Africa, she popped by for one last visit with Blake. I told her I had to get her picture in case her plane went down. I know. That's morbid. But that's honestly what I thought. I think you look really good in this photo, Wannett; so if your plane had have gone down, you would have entered Heaven's gates looking absolutely divine. Here's Wannett with her youngest daughter Beulah Celia.

Next up is a photo with me and our "adopted son" Justin. Justin lived with us in March and April of 2009 and worked with Jon on a construction site. Hey, Dooley, you clean up reeeeeeeeeal gooooooood. I miss Justin. He's about due for a visit, I'd say.

And THIS is Mikey-the-nice-guy. Mikey has been Jon's friend for about 20 years. They truck together, hang out together, eat together, and literally sleep together. They called me one night from their hotel room at a construction site in Petawawa... the beds were taken by other co-workers, so they shared a cot.... they "spooned". Jon says Mikey has a hairy back. hahahahha

Mikey is HONESTLY as crazy as they come. He is 100 percent nuts! crazy! looney! NOTHING is too crazy for this man. One night my aunt and uncle were here for a visit. All of a sudden we realize that Mikey is burning our picnic table. And it's not only burning, but HE is on top of it WHILE it's burning.

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He managed to coax Matt, Jared, and Jake to join in on the "fun". [sigh]

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"OK!!!! I AM INSISTING THAT YOU ALL GET OFF THAT PICNIC TABLE RIGHT THIS INSTANT BEFORE YOUR GOOSE IS LITERALLY COOKED!!!!!"

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You'll notice I haven't put any crazy photos of ME in here... that's because I don't do crazy things...... [a-hem]......or is it just that no one has the camera handy when I DO!??? This photo is of me when we took Blake to the Emerg back on Sept. 13th, before he was first diagnosed with Crohn's. I spent the night in his terribly uncomfortable wheelchair, wrapped in a hospital sheet. My Mom said that "I" looked more like the patient!

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I had to include pictures of Mick and Duke, too. Here's Micky just after Jake and Jared took the cow clippers to him. They decided to give him a Mohawk cut with a lion's mane. Pooooor Mickyyyyyy.

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They decided to give Duke the "checker board" look...... nahhhhh, I'm kidding. It's just the shadow of the lattice on the overhang of the back deck.

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Now most of you know that Blake lost over 1/3 of his body weight with this disease. He went from 165 lbs. to 102 lbs. He was just skin on bones and looked like he'd just walked out of a concentration camp. When we were in the sitting room one evening with Jon and Jake and Jared, we were commenting on the size of his legs. Jared and Jake put their forearms next to Blake's calves. Check this out:

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Can you BELIEVE THAT???? Their forearms are larger than Blake's legs!!!!!! What a shock.

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And for the last photo...........

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JON! IT SURE LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE IN A BIRTHING CHAIR!!!! WHEN ARE YOU DUE???

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ARE YOU SURE YOU NEED THAT MUFFIN?????

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Hope you enjoyed this little photo gallery.

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There's lots more hospital photos that I want to share with you, but I thought you'd have fun checking out some of these crazy shots.

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Yes, I believe we ARE a crazy bunch.

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Inconvenient Gratitude

It's easy to be thankful, isn't it?..... when all is going well, when we have what we want or get what we need, when everything lines up perfectly and works out to our advantage?

But what about the times when things are NOT going well, when we DON'T receive what we want or get what we THINK we need, when everything does NOT line up perfectly or when it does NOT work out to our advantage?

Are you thankful in those times?

The following article was written a few days ago, and I just couldn't help but copy it here. Please just take a few moments to read it over.




Inconvenient Gratitude

Am I thankful?
Sure I am. As long as it’s convenient.
As long as the gift-giver is within ear’s reach of my thank you. And as long as what I’m thankful for is good, comfortable, pleasant and smells great.
I never thank anyone for rolling over my toe with their cart in the grocery store or thank someone for an unkind word. And I never thank God for struggles.
I mean, how stupid would I sound:
Thank you, God, for NO MONEY to pay the mortgage today.
Thank you that my seven-year-old has emotional outbursts every morning before school that reduce her to a pile of unbrushed auburn waves and tears on the bathroom floor.
Thanks for spilled apple juice, dried and sticky on the floor.
Thank you, God, for the rejection of friends and that crazy mean email last week. Thank you for the tears it cost.
Thank you for the argument I had with my husband last night. Thank you, God, that he doesn’t understand me.
No.
We are usually thankful for blessings.
Gifts. Encouragement. Provision.
We send thank-you notes to mothers and cousins for baby gifts and Christmas packages. We call our pastors and thank them for the sermon. We are grateful for warm beds and fireplaces that glow in our family rooms.
We are thankful because it’s easy and expected.
But the sweet times, the easy-flowing happy times are not what shape me. I am comfortable and will stay the same if everything always goes my way.
Discomfort is the only way I grow. And I am never grateful for sitting in the valley of hurt and pain. I’m never thankful when things don’t work out like I planned.
I stamp my feet instead and no-fair God. I tell Him He doesn’t know what it's like to be me.
I’m not changed in the lots-of-money, kids-are-well, husband-adores-me days.
But I am changed in the I’m-fat, second-argument-this-week-with-my-mom, worried-about-my-kids days.
This is when I’m moved to trust. I have to because nothing else works.
These are the days when God comes in and under-girds my heart with His own, turns my head to refocus my attention and then asks me to trust.
And I should be grateful that He thinks enough of me to carefully craft difficulty to edge me toward beauty, kindness, and grace with pressure.
I don’t want to just be thankful for the easy. I want to be grateful for the hard. And that involves a choice...one I'm making today.
Will you join me?
by Sarah Markley

When the author wrote, "Discomfort is the only way I grow.....", those words just jumped off the screen at me.

Why does it have to be that way? Why does it have to be uncomfortable or hurting or painful? Why can't everything just be going along jim-dandy and tra-la-lah and carefree.....?

Well, God didn't promise us a rose garden..... not here, anyways. ....Along with the sunshine, there's gonna be a little rain sometimes.... (remember that song?) He does promise us that we'll have a wonderful life in Heaven as we spend eternity with Him, and He also promises that He'll never leave us nor forsake us while we are here in our earthly form. I am thankful for that!

But in the meantime, down here on planet Earth, the pain and hurt and discomfort and inconveniences that we experience... well, to put it plainly, I think it just stinks! HOWEVER, those times of pain and hurt and discomfort and inconvenience, including those "catastrophic moments" that suddenly jump into our every-day lives, will help us to grow; they mature us in our walk with Christ; they strengthen us, through Him, so that each day we learn more how to trust our Lord and feel His Almighty Holy Presence.

HOW do people get through each day by not having a relationship with the Lord? I simply do not have that answer. I don't know how they cope. He's able to keep me going. I don't understand it all, so I must lean on Him. I told someone just the other day, "my needs are being met", just as He promises.

Did you get that? My "needs" are being met; not my "wants", but my "needs". Matthew 6:31-33 says, "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

My needs are met.

I am in a growing season.

I am learning to be thankful.....

......even in the "inconvenient" times.

To read Sarah's article at "(in)courage", please click here.

$4,335.75 - Blake's Health Update 2009/11/18

And THAT, my dear friends, is the cost of ONE dose of Remicade.

$4,335.75

Canadian Dollars.....

Four thousand-.....

three hundred-.....

thirty-five dollars-.....

and seventy-five cents.....


I'm not sure WHO didn't study math in school but the original figures given to me sure don't add up to THAT.

I was told it was approximately $18,000 a year. I was told he would ultimately end up getting an infusion approximately every eight weeks. That's about every two months. So six infusions goes into $18,000 at a cost of $3,000 per infusion.

So I am wondering WHY it's another $1,335.75.

At this point, I guess it really doesn't matter. It's needed for Blake to stay healthy.... well, actually I suppose it's needed for him to even LIVE! He was a pretty sick boy. And the fact that after one dose he was feeling better (which I was told by a specialty pharmacist today that it's very rare to feel better after only one or two doses! Praise the Lord that, in THIS case, we're one of the minorities!).

So, I am not complaining. I am so very thankful to all of you out there who have donated at the fundraisers or have stopped by the house or our church to give to Blake's needs. Because of you, we can get this medicine in him instead of waiting for the nasty paperwork to get approved. So, thank you! thank you! thank you!

My cards of thanks and a big Thank You in the local newspapers are coming soon! You have all been so generous. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

And Blake? Feeling very well, thanks for asking. He is a bit tired still, but no pain. Not even a tummy ache. His acne is slowly returning now that he is off the Prednisone, which is unfortunate; but I think we'll try and get another dermatologist appointment and see what can be done.

And that reminds me.... I have not even called our own doctor here in The County to give her an update. Oh, that's TERRIBLE of me! She has been so caring and had asked for updates, and I've neglected to do that. I'm such a numb-skull.

And on THAT note, this numb-skull has to get a child to a youth event in town in the next 20 minutes and we haven't even eaten supper yet........... tick tock, tick tock.

More news and updates soon. Just wanted to give you today's bill payment total! hahaha

Thank you, Father, for the kind community, family, and friends we have; they have made it possible for my boy to be pain free. Bless them Lord, and let them know how much we love them. Amen.

The Farmer Man

On Sunday I rushed to the local hospital to see my uncle. He had collapsed during the singing of the second hymn at his church, and they rushed him by ambulance to Picton's Emerg.

Fortunately, everything seems to be ok. Don't know if we're dealing with a heart attack or a blood pressure problem or what, but thankfully things seem to be pretty good right now.

They decided to keep him for a few days for observation, which I so appreciate the fact that they didn't just send him back home!

This past summer, Blake spent a bit of time working on his farm. Blake was quite unwell at the time, but still mustered up the strength to give the hens a bright new look to their home. I'm betting egg production will surely increase. haha

Headland Farms - 2009 - photo by Michelle

This is my Uncle Murray and Aunt Leona (my Mom's sister) on the front porch of their farmhouse. This has always been Uncle Murray's home since he was a babe.

Headland Farms - 2009 - Aunt Leona & Uncle Murray - photo by Michelle







Here's a photo of their home.

Headland Farms - 2009 - photo by Michelle

This is their dairy barn.... unfortunately my time was limited and I didn't get a picture of the girls the cows, but maybe another day we'll catch them during milking time.

Headland Farms - 2009 - photo by Michelle







I picked up two hitch-hikers..... nah, just kidding.... that's two o' me boys.... Matthew and Jared. They were greatly excited to get to the Milford bridge where they would spend the afternoon jumping into the Milford Mill Pond.

Matthew & Jared - 2009

Matthew & Jared - 2009

This is always a favourite scene at Uncle Murray and Aunt Leona's farm... the windmill.

Headland Farms - 2009 - photo by Michelle

Many a photographer have stopped to get a snap of this windmill. They're becoming rare.

Anyways, I just wanted to share a few pictures of Headland Farms since Uncle Murray was on my mind. I'm sure the good folks at Picton Hospital are spoiling him rotten.

But if I know Uncle Murray, he's anxious to return to his home. He loves his land, and it's obvious to see why.

Get better, Uncle Murray!

Another Big Load of Potatoes

Sometimes I just get tired of being tired.











Today I physically feel completely exhausted, but mentally I think I'm feeling pretty good.











Yesterday I worked with our bookkeeper for 15 straight hours.... 10:30am Thursday to 1:30am Friday. Yup. That's right.... A.M. We got a lot of "crap" entered.











And no, I'm not apologizing for using the word "crap"... in fact, I've got some other adjectives floatin' around here in this beany brain of mine. Can you tell I hate bookwork?











Anyways, Jon's cousin and I have been hammering away at a couple of boxes of business paperwork. (Thanks, "Fuff", for all your help... and under the time crunch too!) I don't wanna hear the words "OK, that's Journal Number [864] posted" for a looooong time.











I think this is what I pretty much looked like at 1:30am:

This might have been "Fuff"; however, I think he rather enjoys doing paperwork/computerwork for folks, so maybe this is just him on a bad day (or just after having a tooth pulled.. haha):

Ever carry around two fifty pound bags of potatoes on your shoulders? That's what I feel like I've been carrying around for a couple of years.

Well, it's actually been longer than a couple of years; but I am not getting into all that today.... and likely never WILL get into it. I want it buried. DEEP. Out of my mind.

But I WILL say that with Jon becoming ill a couple of years ago and the scare we went through that perhaps he had done some brain damage when he fell out in Alberta and hit his head.... well.... it took a lot out of me at that time.

Then Jon had the wind taken out of his sails with some other issues that we've been able to slowly work through. (If I were to write a book about it all, you'd never believe it. Never. But I swear I wouldn't be making up one thing!)

And then I got sick of all the paperwork so much that I just left it... pecking away at it once in a blue moon.... once in a VERY blue moon.... but unfortunately letting it fall behind.

Then Blake started becoming ill... slowly over almost two years, but escalating over the summer and early fall of this year.

Then the weeks of hospitalization and tests and doctors' appointments and treatments.

And of course just trying to cope with the 'normalcy' of every-day-life events as Mom and Wife.....

All of those "potatoes" were really weighing me down.

The Lord tells us to give Him our potatoes burdens, not to carry them around. Well, I give Him the whole 50-pound potato sack, but it doesn't take me long and I grab those spuds right back and carry them around for a while, until I once again grow weary.

Well just being able to finish this paperwork up has been like getting rid of some heavy potato sacks. We just have a smidget more to do; and then when the accountant gets finished with it, we will pass the finished product all on to Revenue Canada. And hopefully we'll have a super duper nice person looking after it who will look it all over with expediency so that we can get the Trillium paperwork completed for Blake's medications.

Speaking of Blake, I have promised to do some updates for all of you regarding the fundraisers that have been happening; but all my spare time has been going into the bookwork. So, for those of you who are waiting for all that news, I do promise it's coming.

I don't want people to think I am ungrateful just because I haven't blogged about it yet. I AM VERY GRATEFUL. Trust me, it would be soooo easy for me to sit all day and blog about the graciousness of this community. However, the paperwork must be caught up so I don't have to worry about paying all that moo-lah for Blake's meds the rest of my life!!!!!!

So now I must rush off to tidy up the kitchen and then get to a friend's house to practice some music with him. (Hi Jonny!).... (Not MY Jonny, folks. It's Bernadette's Jonny.) He and I are singing at church on Sunday. Thanks for asking me, Jon!

Folks, if you're carrying potatoes tonight, might I suggest setting the bag down. Take that weight off. Try peeling some of those spuds and boilin' them up (or even deep frying them! Mmmm) rather than carrying them around!

And if you see me and I look like I'm slouching with a load of potatoes on my shoulders, would you remind me to dump them? We all need a little reminding once in a while. Stompin' Tom should be the only one worryin' about "another big load of potatoes". (click on the orange phrase) [wink, wink]

In Flanders Fields....

In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead.

Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

We remember.

Jared Scores Twice for COSSA Championship

Can I brag just a little bit?

Just a little, I promise.

Here's my baby, front page of the SPORTS section in The Belleville Intelligencer, Friday, November 6, 2009. (Jared is the player in black. Click on photo and it should enlarge if you want to read the article.)

Jared - Belleville Intelligencer - Friday, November 6, 2009

The P.E.C.I. Panthers in Junior Boys Soccer worked hard in the mix of drizzling and pouring rain (for BOTH games!) to take home the big COSSA* soccer trophy for P.E.C.I. to display in the trophy cabinet.

*COSSA - Central Ontario Secondary School Athletics

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They never let up on their pressure in either game. In Game #1 they defeated the Jr. Boys team from Lindsay, Ontario in a score of 1-0, with Jared earning the 'assist' in the goal. Game #2 found the team a win as they battled Belleville's St. Theresa's Titans with Jared scoring two of the four goals as well as earning another 'assist'. Final score was 4-1, earning Prince Edward's high school Juniors the COSSA trophy for First Place for the first time.

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We had some very excited 20+ boys, along with coaches, assistants, and some pretty exhuberant soccer moms and dads on the sidelines. Parents were thankful when the game was over, as we mostly held our breaths as we watched our kids "give their all", sometimes resulting in injuries.

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Jared collided with another player, both of them landing flat on the ground. Unfortunately for Jared, the other player landed on Jared's head. Jarey laid still on the field, not moving a bit!, until the coach felt he was OK and alert enough to stand to leave the field. Of course, ol' Mother Hen was at the opposite end of the field....
......grasping the arm rests of her lawnchair.....
......refraining herself from running across the field.....
......wanting to be at the side of her baby boy who was laying there, not moving....
......waiting for the summons of Coach Dave to come get her boy and head to Trenton's Emergency Department to await a CT Scan of his head!
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Sometimes it's more exhausting to be the parent watching the game than it is to be the kid physically playing the game.
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Jarey appeared to be a bit stunned, but after sitting out for about ten minutes, he regained his ability to play. [Whew, avoided Emerg THIS time...] Moments afterwards, Damien had major physical contact with an opposing player and got a face full of cleat. With scratched up face and a little bleeding in the mouth, he too was ready to keep pressing on to win the championship for his teammates and school.

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My "adopted son" Matthew held the position of goalie for Game #1, and since Gudrun (Matt's Mom.... Hi Gudrun!) couldn't be at the game, I took over the roll of Matt's Mom and was "nervous FOR her". Matty was covered in mud and freezing because of the rain; however he worked hard to make it a shut-out game.

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I'm very proud of my boys and their strong physical abilities to give everything they've got for their team. Many times I have to tell them to "take it easy".

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I will have more photos coming up soon on the blog of these games as well as some games from semi-final and finals for the Bay of Quinte title. Tune in again soon to see me brag just a LITTLE bit more.....
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If you clicked on the picture, it should have enlarged for you to read the article. If not, click HERE to read the article online, but the photo does not seem to appear on the online version.
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Now I finally get to put those stinky soccer cleats away for the season..... man oh man these kids can reek of a strong, unpleasant, foul smell! But as long as they had fun, what's a little stinkiness, eh?