Into the Water

Not too long ago we joyfully celebrated Sienna's baptism. Isaiah cheered her on enviously, wishing he could tell everyone that he loves Jesus and wants to follow Him for the rest of his life. I remember him tugging at my skirt while I talked to Sienna about baptism and its meaning. "I'm ready mom. I'm not afraid. I know what it means," he whispered. I knew he was ready then and I know he is ready now to express his love for God through participation in the sacrament of baptism. We invite you to pray for him this week as we help him prepare for this sacred day in his life.



The baptism will be Sunday, June 8 at the American River Confluence, 1:00pm. If you live locally please feel welcome to come out and share in this part of his life. Check out www.emmauslife.org for a map or updates on the baptism.

isaiah runs

We marked the one year anniversary of Isaiah's diagnosis by running! Isaiah ran a 1/4 mile run for 5 year-olds. I was moved as I watched Isaiah and rememebered back to last Memorial day when he couldn't even sit up. We have a long way to go but we're so grateful for how far he's come and how strong he's feeling.

Sienna ran a 1/2 mile run. Carmen ran her first 5K. I'm super proud of them too!

one year

Today marks one year since Isaiah's diagnosis. We've been aware of this date approaching and today thought a lot about the journey of the last 12 months. In most ways, time has passed more quickly than ever before. In fact we regularly remember as "last year" things that actually happened TWO years ago. It's as if we've "missed" a year. And yet in some ways the last year "feels like six years" (as Sienna put it). You can click here to get a reminder of what was going on one year ago this week (I was, at the time, confused on the dates. His actual diagnosis was May 24). Or, just scroll through the 2007 entries...it's been quite a ride.



We had a great day today visiting Sutter's Fort with our dear friend Janet.




We're so grateful for so many things: being able to play baseball, very few overnight hospital stays, hope, much encouragement from family and friends, our church community, 365 days of rich life together.

long day

BIG thanks to all of you who prayed for Isaiah today. He fasted until after 2:00 p.m. as there were lots of kids at the hospital. Through it all he never complained. We worked on memorizing Joshua 1:9 together throughout the morning and as we were finally called in for his "sleepy test" (or "lumbar puncture" as they call it) and I carried him down the hall, he recited it to me softly: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

We're asking for grace to live out of faith - not fear. We were shown x-rays today which revealed worsening fractures in his spine. There are a couple complex issues before us. Please pray for mercy.

neighbors

Some of the greatest gifts we've received through this last year have been all the practical helps from our neighbors. It's often the simple things like mowing lawns and taking out trash cans that quietly communicate support on a gloriously practical level. We're so thankful for those in our neighborhood who just continue to cheer us on and help us out!

Our West-Side Lawn Guru

Our Strong East-Side Support

**This Thursday we'll be fasting in preparation for another scheduled spinal tap and in-clinic chemotherapy treatment. These are always challenging days. We appreciate your prayers for Isaiah!

#100

Friends, this is our 100th post on Isaiah's blog. As we quickly approach the 1st anniversary of his diagnosis, we want to thank all of you very much for sharing this journey with us and for supporting us along the way. I know many of you have read every post and have celebrated and cried with us. We're really thankful for each one of you.

We just celebrated a great mother's day with lots of family:

Excited about Mom's present...

ready for bed...

Sienna gardens at her Bita's house

the Oates kids (minus Levi) with Mom

Carmen with her baby sister and mom

day at the ballpark

We all played hooky today and took in a day game at Raley Field. We really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and time to catch up with one another. Here's Isaiah - post-sunscreen - looking a bit more pale than normal.

There were foul balls-a-plenty in our area and Isaiah ended up with one - much to his delight! After the game the RiverCats' third baseman, Jeff Baisley, who hit two homers during the game, was kind enough to sign it. Isaiah was thrilled.

Thanks for celebrating the happy moments with us. We're thanking God for such a rich day.