isaiah wields his ax

A big mimosa tree at Papa's fell down and Isaiah helped cut it up. Dad and Papa used chainsaws. Isaiah rolled old school.

thank you eastside christian school

Miss Amber Bobst's 2nd grade class from Belleview, Washington held a bake sale to raise money for gifts for Isaiah and Sienna. The class reportedly decided to do this in place of their traditional Christmas gift exchange. The bake sale was a huge success. All of us received generous, creative gifts delivered in person by Miss Amber herself!

Thank you for your love and generosity. You are an awesome class. We were humbled and impressed by your servant hearts!

Love,

Sienna, Isaiah, Nathan and Carmen

Christmas '07

Some scenes from Christmas weekend...

After hot chocolate Sienna opened her very own light saber!

Isaiah and Auntie Angie enjoyed a night full of noise, laughter and delicious Nicaraguan food.

Nathan...trying to be strong and courageous despite his bout with food poisoning the night before Christmas Eve. We stopped to eat on the way to San Jose and .....

All the cousins had a great time together!

Look out! It's the cutest pirate in the world!

breather

Carmen and I were able to get away for a couple days to celebrate our 12th anniversary. At times it felt like we were re-introducing ourselves after many months apart.

The kids were well-cared for by one of Carmen's sisters. They then joined us for a relaxed day of just enjoying one another's company.

gentle warriors

Here's a picture of two of the toughest boys we know. Our friend Kyler just had his port removed after a long and arduous battle. This shot was taken at his "port-o-party."

homecoming

After living apart for 3 weeks, we're all under the same roof again tonight AT HOME! We shared a great salmon dinner, danced, and enjoyed hot chocolate and stories in front of the fire. (Sienna never did break out with chicken pox...just bravely endured the incubation period at her Bita and Papa's.) We're very thankful to be together again.

Day One and Day Nineteen

Yesterday was officially Day 1 of Maintenance! This is a major milestone in Isaiah's treatment. It marks the beginning of fewer visits per month and long periods of time between spinal taps.

His treatment continues with daily chemotherapy at home, steroids at the beginning of each month and spinal taps every three months. Each phase of Maintenance is 12 weeks long. Thank you for joining us in prayer as we begin week number one of this first phase.

Yesterday was also DAY NINETEEN of Sienna's incubation period. We were all happily planning her "homecoming party" when we received a call letting us know she needed to be picked up early from school. She had a fever, was extemely tired and felt achy all over. Now we are anxiously waiting to see if she breaks out. We are still functioning as nomad parents, our hearts in two places when our bodies can only be in one. So we travel back and forth taking turns with each of the kids.

We are all feeling stretched to our limits. We embrace this Advent season with burning hope for Christ to be born into our need for Him right now!