Thank you!

Well, we are so sorry for the delay in response in regards to last week’s prayer and fasting time. Unfortunately I came down with the flu and was in the bed for several days- that has put us behind! Sweet Austin has had double duty and has done a fantastic job.

We honestly are at a loss of words to describe to you just how deeply impacted we have been by your response to our cry. We have been truly humbled that so many of you earnestly prayed for us on Wednesday. And we have been blown away by the number of you who chose to fast with us and even gather together and pray without us even being there! Wow! We have been strengthened by your presence, your love, your commitment, and your faith. And, I don’t think we will ever forget you being the hands and feet of Christ to us this past week. I wish so much there was a way we could repay you for your kindness.

I would like to share what Austin posted on our church website- these words are to you as well:

Hi friends – I cannot explain what a blessing these comments and prayers have been for the past few days. Nicole and I have talked each day of God’s love for us through you. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts – that you would care for us enough to present our family before the father. We know He has heard our prayers and are hopeful for the future.

As for our next steps, I don’t think we are in a place to really comment on that at this exact moment – not because we don’t want to – but rather because we are still unsure. I was able to speak with parents of a now grown child this week who gave me great encouragement by telling me her story of her son’s battle. God has also been generous this week to encourage us from His word.

In particular I have received encouragement from:

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. (Psalms 34:17, 18)

We know we are not alone.. we know God is with us and we know you all are with us. Today we are thankful for the blessing of our son and for the health that he enjoys. God is doing a work in our hearts and the hearts of folks all over through this situation. We continue to trust Him for the outcome and desire that our hearts align perfectly with His will.

We will continue to keep you posted on the progression and any needs that we may have along the way.

Blessings

  

As of now we are still waiting on Vanderbilt to call us in with results from St. Judes. We do have two appointments next week with Caleb’s eye doctor and hormone specialist. We will keep you posted on those results. Thank you, dearly again and now here are some pictures from November and December.

On November 8th we celebrated Austin's birthday and enjoyed our last celebration and dinner in the dinning room of our old house. It was a sweet one!

We celebrated Krystle's birthday too! She and Chase are getting married in April- we can't wait! They have been such a blessing in our lives. 

And then the packing begins- my family came up to help- here Grayson and the kids play with Caleb's old cars while we pack. It was fun having Grayson to play.

Here he is licking the bowl that had bananas in it! Ha!

My parents graciously took our children for a few days while Austin and I moved and unpacked a few things. These few days were some of the hardest due to the news we received on moving day of the doctors wanting to move forward with treatment. It made leaving our home extra hard, and it honestly put a damper on the excitement of moving. I was actually in tears and trying to hold back tears while moving, but these days have passed and the Lord has been carrying the burden- praise the Lord!
This picture is a sweet memory of us taking an exploration hike in our back yard past the fence. We climbed around and explored for awhile and really had a good time.

Here is a sweet picture of the kids with one of their favorite babysitters- Miss Heather. She has just gotten married and this was one of the last times she sat for us. We have had the privilege of having her come play with our kids for the last 6 1/2 years. We love you tons, Heather and thank you for loving on our babies for so many years. We will miss you!

Thanksgiving- we didn't take a ton of pictures but we did have a sweet time with both of our families. Krystle did a fantastic job cooking most of the food- Chase, you are marrying a good cook- what a blessing! And Kathy made her famous pecan pie- my favorite. 

 

Annelise is getting some lov'in from Hunter- precious

And, I am just so excited to share that Will T. and Kayla are engaged!!!! I actually have a picture of them and the ring in all my Christmas pictures but that will have to come later....We are thrilled to say that Will T. popped the question over the holidays and shared with all of us at Ma's house. Will T. was saying the blessing before we ate breakfast and said at the end, " and thank you Lord that Kayla and I are engaged!! I screamed! Yay!!!! We love you both and are thrilled for you guys!!! 

Will T and Kayla had their 1st date over the Christmas holidays last year. 

We took a family picture at Mom's and Dad's.

and here's a picture of the extended family. Mom's brother Bill and Judy came and so did Leslie's family. We enjoyed yet again another delicious Thanksgiving meal made by Mom complete with homemade fudge and boiled custard. Yum!

Here Caleb and Annelise are creating animals and airplanes out of those melty beads (Annelise's new favorite thing) while enjoying the new bar stools at the kitchen sink!  

Here Annelise is waiting to perform at the CBS Christmas performance. We were so proud of her for singing her heart out and doing all the motions- that's big stuff for Annelsie!

We caught her doing "the little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head."

And we were so proud of Caleb for having a reading part this year- a 1st for 1st graders! He did an excellent job. He is reading tons now- just about anything on his bookshelf he is capable of reading.

and I had to put this picture in- here Annelise was trying on some of my red, Christmas lipstick!! Ha! It makes me remember how much I use to love putting on my Granny's red lipstick with my cousin Allison! Isn't she a doll!

Here Caleb and Annelise are having fun on the swing set for the 1st time in our new back yard.

Here we are with our Community Group having our 1st party in our new home- even without a couch in the living room! We sang Christmas songs with the kids and enjoyed some food, games, and fellowship.

Here's Annelise with some of her pals at the party- Emma and Vada

And did I mention how much Caleb and Annelise play Uno???

I just love this shot of the kids in our backyard. We put it on the Christmas card and I had to put it in our kitchen. They are growing so fast.

and yes Annelise is a ham the majority of the time although most wouldn't know it!

We have all enjoyed watching the horses at our new home. Caleb and Annelise have named most of them- this one I think is Brownie.

I will have to post some other time about Christmas- we did have a sweet time together in our new home. Thanks again for all of your support, your time, your prayers, and your sacrifices. What a gift.
Nicole

Brief Caleb Update

First of all Nicole and I want to thank you all for your many prayers over the last six weeks. So many of you have shared with us prayers, scriptures and words of encouragements that have let us know we are not alone in this journey, and this has been huge blessing to us. 

Your prayers are heard by our God, and their impact has been felt in our personal lives. The news of the possibility of treatment and worsening conditions was very hard for us, but we have been carried through these times and have been sustained in amazing ways. We have had a sweet Christmas in our new home, and in the midst of these hard times we have experienced His hope as we celebrate and rejoice for the birth of Christ.

All of you are aware of Caleb's health and the fact that we are in the stages of waiting on second opinions. We have heard back from John Hopkins and the news is essentially the same – the tumor is believed to be slowly growing, and if we choose therapy that the therapy presented by Vanderbilt is the same they would elect. They did communicate that both options of therapy and waiting for therapy would be valid options, but waiting carries with it a certain risk in the "unknown" of what may happen.  It was also clarified to us that they concur with the fact that surgery is not an option. We have not yet heard back from our Oncologist regarding the second opinion at Saint Jude's.

We know we will soon be asked to make a decision on our next steps and in light of this would like to have a day where we have unified prayer for wisdom and healing. We would love for you to join us on Wednesday as we pray for:

1. Healing
2. A clear direction for our next steps
3. Peace and strength to move forward regardless of difficulty

We are truly humbled that you would take time to lift up our family to the Father, and if there is anything that we can be praying for on your behalf, we would truly love to do so. 

We will keep you updated in the coming weeks.

Caleb's appointment

We finally got to meet with our Oncologist this past Wednesday afternoon to discuss the growth that they've seen in Caleb's tumor over the last 6 months. Our news was hard to hear. They have seen very notable changes and growth as they look back through the scans over the last 18 months. The team of doctors believe that it is best to begin treatment- that is chemotherapy at this time (which is a year long process). The scans have proven growth over time that is a very real threat to his sight. They believe chemo is the best option at this time in order to stop the growth and/or reduce its size. By treating it now, they believe they have a better chance of success with a lower grade chemo while the tumor is smaller than 3 cm. If we wait and it grows, they tell us we will potentially need a higher grade of chemo and/or radiation to control it, and we would be putting him at risk for losing sight that can never be reversed.

 

  The Oncologist is very supportive in our quest for a 2nd opinion, and we have begun that process with John Hopkins in Maryland and St. Jude's in Memphis. This news has been the news we'd hoped we'd never hear; however, it has now become reality, and we are grieving. It has honestly been a rough few weeks and an even harder few days. This has all hit simultaneously as we have closed on our new home and moved in. Although we are so incredibly humbled by the gift of this home, in many ways the joy of this gift has been overshadowed by the news of Caleb's tumor. It has been hard to leave the familiarity and the comfort of our old home along with the many memories of good times when we are grieving. This new home is unfamiliar, unsettled, and lacks a comfortable place to curl up and cry at this time when we are in boxes.

 - however, the good news is this -there is always a BUT - BUT we are still holding to the goodness of our God and his plan for our sweet Caleb. We do not feel alone and for that we are thankful. We are desperately praying for wisdom at this time and ask that you would join us.

 

Our prayers are these:

1)  that the Lord would make it clear to us the path He has for our son in His journey for him at this time and that we would have the strength to walk in His plan trusting each step of the way

 

2)for the doctors reviewing Caleb's info to have wisdom and clarity as they look with a new set of eyes

3) that if there is a way to keep Caleb from treatment, that the doctors might find that way

 

4) that we would have joy in our hearts even in the midst of this trial

 

5) that Austin and I would draw close to each other,support each other well, and give grace to each other

6) that the Lord would do a miracle of healing like we know He can!

 

 

I was encouraged last night when I read from Psalm 32. It said in verse 8:

 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you...
    but the Lord’s unfailing love
surrounds the man who trusts in him.

 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!

 

Thank you dearly for your prayers on our behalf.

Much love,

Austin and Nicole

 

Fall 2012

Well we were unable to go today to Caleb's doctor's appointment because he caught a bug and was throwing up again this morning. It actually started on Friday right after he woke up from his anesthesia. He said he didn't feel well, and he ended up throwing up on the way home twice, throughout the day, and into the night. We called the doctor thinking it was a new side affect from the anesthesia until Annelise starting throwing up the next morning- then we realized it was a virus. Caleb returned back to his normal self on Saturday-Tuesday, but then woke up this morning throwing up again! It's been a crazy few days.

We did however receive some not good news from the doctor on Monday over the phone. His tumor has indeed grown over the last 6 months. We had a really hard day Monday swallowing this information as we face again the question of what should we do. So, we will return to the doctor within the next couple of weeks to discuss the options. We believe that most likely we will not move forward with treatment as the very next step (due to his sight and hormones remaining steady at this time) although it will be placed on the table as an option due to the concern the doctors have of waiting too long.

We would love for you to pray the following for us:

1) for wisdom for us and the doctors on our course of action at this time.

2)  for strength as we are physically weary from the building of our home and now the moving this weekend.

3) for the Lord to continue to calm our hearts in the midst of this storm.

4) that God would see fit to remove this tumor or make it stop growing!

 

I have been encouraged this week by the Lord's presence- on Monday morning before I received the call from the doctor the Lord placed a song on my heart that is one that really doesn't come to mind often. The lyrics are: Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future and life is worth the living just because He lives! - I've been singing it all week.

 

 We are eternally grateful for your prayers.

 

Here is the blog entry I actually put together last week and was waiting to send it with this MRI update.

 

  Fall has been a whirlwind with the designing and remodeling of a new home for us here in Murfreesboro. We are really excited to be moving within the next week!!! We have obviously shared some memorable moments with our kids starting with the latest: Halloween!! Here we are trick or treating at Harpeth Hills. Caleb went as Obi Wan Kenobi and Annelise as a VOLS Cheerleader!

Annelise has discovered she likes cheerleading this fall. She has gone to 2 football games to see her babysitter cheer and has come alive watching the girls down on the sidelines! She stands on her daddy's legs, moves to the beat of the band, and watches closely the girls dance and cheer- it's so cute! And when she's in her comfort zone she'll do her own cheer that we've taught her- V-O-L-S, VOLS, GO! VOLS! GO! Except when she does it by herself, she adds all kinds of other letters like P! Q!  T! -it's precious! 

Here we are with Mom and Ma

On Halloween night we went door to door with several friends- here the kids are with a dear friend named Charlie- an Ewok!

here the boys are practicing their moves -Ha!

Annelise and Timothy - cute as can be!

Here's our traditional shot of the kids on the couch- they are all growing like weeds

Our little princess after her bath- love you, baby girl!

These last few shots are of us in our home at night together- I'm getting sentimental because we are about to move in just a few days!! Our new house is almost complete, and we are super excited to be moving in; however, sad too- we have lived here for 8 sweet years; we have brought home our babies to this house, and we shared such wonderful moments together within these walls. This home has truly been a gift from the Lord, and I am sad to leave it behind. Caleb is too- he's just like me! 

This is a shot of us playing Uno- the favorite game around our house right now! Annelise has learned how to play and she's a whiz at it!! In this shot, she has already beaten us all- I just had her hold up a card for the picture. She and Caleb play several games of it a day- it is so sweet to watch the two of them have such fun together. It makes me so glad that we home school Caleb- he and Annelise get many more moments like these to build their friendship- what a blessing!

Here Caleb and Annelise (crazy hair!) are jumping on the bed- Caleb is sad to be leaving his room- he's already cried- I've done the same and this week will be hard to see it all come down. Change is good many times; however, it doesn't mean that it's easy to close a chapter. Even though this chapter of our lives has consisted of some storms, it has been so full of love, laughter, growth, and God's amazing mercies and grace that it's a hard chapter to close. But we will look back on these 8 years with fond memories.

Here we are last week at the Gentry's Farm!- a family favorite time that we look forward to each year!

it was a cold day, but no rain- yay!

the tire swing is always a favorite!

Caleb and Caeden high in the air!

How tall this fall? -the sign says - very tall, I say! I just might have to put bricks on their heads! ;)

And after the farm we joined back up for our annual chili cookout!!! I was sad to not host it this year- too much with all the moving and house stuff going on. We had 6 pots of chili this year!

It was fall hat weather! 

Annelise ate her chili with Daddy- a very special seat she had indeed!

Here is little Samuel with his daddy- the Kramers brought him home one year ago! He has grown and changed so much this year- we love you Samuel!

here are our sweet neighbors and friends who we are so sad to be leaving- we wish we could move them next door to our new home!

Thanks, Randi Lea for hosting our chili cookout- it was a sweet time!