Doesn't Every Family Vacation in Des Moines?

Wow, the month of July has gone by so quickly! We left town on the 2nd for a week of vacation. As people would ask where we would be going on vacation, I would laugh at the looks on their faces when I responded, "that very popular vacation destination of Des Moines, Iowa". While there, we visited friends, went to the science center, saw the I-Cubs play baseball, saw fireworks, watched a 4th of July parade, swam, ate CORN, and a thousand other things. We really enjoyed ourselves. It seemed to mean a lot to D to see the place where he was born and lived as a baby. Everyone at church loved seeing how much he'd grown.

After returning from vacation, the boys and I headed to my sister's house for a few days. Her friends hosted a baby shower at her house. It was a great shower and we had a wonderful visit. I can't believe that the next time I see her she will either be laboring or she'll be holding sweet little Caden! She went to the doctor last week and the process has begun! Now that she is full-term, it really could be anytime. She's not due for 2 1/2 weeks, but who knows! Here she is below, opening one of her gifts. Sorry about the red-eyes!

Besides traveling, life has been pretty lazy. We're convinced that D will need to go back to 1st grade. Surely he's lost millions of brain cells watching this show everyday. We've put him off as long as possible, but several of his friends watch this show and now he's obsessed. It really has to be the dumbest show on TV, but I must admit there are some funny spots. Well, I say that about his brain cells, but the child has quite an imagination. In fact, I find myself "listening" to his made-up adventures with my eyes glassed over and screaming "Lord have mercy" on the inside. Several times a day I have to endure another tale - and it makes me want to cry. But then I remind myself that having a big imagination is good!!

Well, that's all for now. I'll try not to go another month without blogging!

Bedtime Conversation

We'd been talking about our dog, Max.

D: I'm not really a DOG person.

G: I am.

Mom: Yeah, for D's birthday, he just needs a turtle and a fish.

D: Yes! I want a fish!!!

G: I want a duck!

The Latest on Payton

Here is the update from the Chumbleys blog.

I just talked to Robin and found out they will be repeating all the tests Payton had to endure in Prague. I understand it, but so wish he didn't have to have another round of tests. He is having a CT scan right now and will have MRI and bone marrow next week. Chemo treatments might begin late next week.

Please continue to pray for Payton.

It's Been a While

The boys and I just returned from a weekend in my hometown. It was my sister's baby shower and we had a great time catching up with everyone. Little Caden is growing and growing and it really won't be long now. Well, not to us. To K, it seems like an eternity! I remember being 7 months pregnant and convinced that I couldn't get any bigger and 9 months was entirely too long to be pregnant! She got lots of the bedding for the nursery, so I imagine she will be having a good time this week getting the nursery ready!

We spent some time with the brother and family, too! My very health-concious SIL served chili-cheese dogs and ice cream! No salad - nothing green! The tea had artificial sweetener! The dogs were all beef - not soy or tofu! We gave her a very hard time and had a blast eating it!

Our friends, the Chumbleys, have traveled home from Prague to begin Payton's cancer treatments. His first appointment is this Thursday in Fort Worth. After flying all day Friday, they arrived safely in TX around 7:30 PM. They were tired and overwhelmed, but in good spirits. I spent some time with them Saturday while they relaxed and waited for the rest of their luggage to arrive. Everyone looked great - but tired. Payton was full of energy - you'd never know he has an aggressive bone cancer! Robin and her mom came to the baby shower Sunday. Most everyone there knows them and were anxious to hug them and remind them they are praying for Payton. My aunt took a great picture of me and Robin and I'll post it later.

Life is busy around here. We will be leaving on vacation next Monday! We are heading to the big vacation destination of Des Moines, Iowa! We lived there - our first child was born there - and we haven't been back as a family! Most of our friends haven't seen D since he was 2 and they've never seen G. Contrary to what most might think, there is a lot to do in DM and it will be a great trip!

Payton's Test Results

From Terry's email this morning:

We just returned from our meeting with the oncologists at Motol. Here is a brief update of where we are:

Payton has Ewing's Sarcoma (PNET), which is a very aggressive form of bone cancer. The doctors are recommending chemotherapy every 3 weeks (3-4 days at a time) for around 18 weeks.

They will then redo the CT scan/xrays/MRI/etc. to determine if the tumor has shrunk enough to remove it by surgery. Due to the location of the tumor (1st rib near major arteries), they are doubtful that surgery will work at that time. They feel that he will require radiation treatment to try and further shrink the tumor and then attempt surgery.

They also feel that Payton has a 65-75% of completely being healed. (Luckily none of that is up to them) We will send all results back to the states for a second opinion and further consultations.

Our advantages:
1. Payton is young and can bounce back from treatments.

2. The tumor is small and if we start treatment soon we have the advantage.

3. Payton inherited his stubbornness from his mother and her side of the family.

4. Payton has a prayer army like none other.

We love you all and have felt your prayers stir the comforting of the holy spirit in our lives.

Thanks..........

For the Kingdom,

The Chumbleys

Heres a link for more info:

http://www.curesearch.org/for_parents_and_families/newlydiagnosed/

Lastest on Payton

Terry has updated his blog. It's so sweet and heart-wrenching at the same time to read this daddy's thoughts on his son's condition.

By the way, Payton loves getting mail. If you want to send him a card or note just let me know and I'll email you his address.

Update on Payton

Payton's tumor was removed this morning and it appears to be malignant. The official lab results will be available later today.

Please continue to pray for Payton as he recovers this week. The doctors will meet with Robin and Terry next week to plan their course of action.

As I look at G, who is 2 months older than Payton, I try to imagine what it would be like for him to have surgery, to have a tumor. It's agonizing.

Terry posted this on their blog yesterday, explaining how he felt about the upcoming surgery. Please take the time to read it.

**Update from Robin this afternoon:

The doctors say the tumor looks malignant. They were unable to remove the whole tumor because it is too close to major veins and such so they only did a biopsy. They will know more next week and find out the treatment plan. No sign of any other tumors.

Please Pray for Payton

My precious friends, the Chumbleys, are serving as missionaries in Prague. They have 5 boys and Robin is pregnant with a little GIRL, due in October. Payton is almost 3 1/2 and needs our prayer. The following is a message from Terry:

Payton was diagnosed with a tumor in his chest earlier this week. He has been through many tests and the results have been about as good as they can be. The tests showed no additional tumors. His bloodwork was clean and the bone marrow test came back negative as well. He is scheduled to have the tumor removed this coming Monday morning and will be admitted at the University Hospital in Motol (Prague) Sunday afternoon. Try to envision what you think a communist hospital looks like and you have Motol. It is colorless and old, but the care that Payton has received has been very good. All of those tests were run in the morning and the results were back after lunch, very efficient. They are very conservative with their healthcare and Payton will have to stay a minimum of 5-7 days, if additional treatment is needed it could be longer. The doctors have been great and impressed with the 'spirit' of both Robin and Payton. Of course the news was devastating, but we are blessed to have a peace that passes all understanding. The doctors commented on how most parents become angry, pass blame and can really lose control at a time like this. They have been calling Robin 'Supermom' because she has not fit into any of those categories. It is a great opportunity to let our faith shine.

The response we have received has been incredible. As I said before, we have had no way to communicate with our family in the states for most of the week. I was able for a small period of time to Skype Robin's parents and have them notify our family of what was going on. Four hours after I sent that Skype, our French teacher came to the school and wanted to know how Payton was doing. She had received an email message from the International Mission Board in Virginia about a prayer request for a 3 year-old in Prague. WOW!!!!! What a testimony to prayer and prayer warriors. Please continue to pray for Payton and his family this week. Say a special prayer for Robin as there are certain parts of the hospital she cannot be in. One of those areas is the children's oncology department. We pray that we avoid that department, but if the tumor is malignant, Payton will be transferred there and Robin can have no contact with him for possibly the rest of her pregnancy (early Oct.) We will cross that proverbial bridge when we get there.

We have also received requests about medical expenses. To be honest, we have no idea how much this will cost. Our insurance will cover much of it, but I have not received the final notice from them of how much will be covered. If the tumor is benign we hope that is the end of it, otherwise we are looking at a long term situation. We will try to keep you posted as we find out what is going on.

Thanks for your support and prayers...........we definitely feel them.

The Czech Chumbleys

Special Visitors

Hubby's mom and niece surprised him by showing up for his 40th birthday party. It was a wonderful visit, but way too short!!!

Mother's Day

A tribute to the women I come from - I love them so very much and they have influenced me more than I can express.

Happy Mother's Day!

This is Mimi, my maternal grandmother, and my mom.

This is my mom, pregnant with me in 1968!

This is me with my great-grandmother, my aunt, my grandmother and my mother! This is one of my favorite pictures. I'm sure my aunt and mom cringe when they see themselves in the 70's clothes, but I love how Mimi looks in her rhinestone-studded glasses and pointy collar!

It's funny, even though I'm 38 years old, when I think about my mom and her picture pops up in my mind, this is the face I see. The 30-something face - not the 60-something face. Don't get me wrong, my mother is a beautiful 60-something. Maybe that face is what I see because it's the one that mothered me, corrected me, nurtured me, shaped me.

Makes me wonder what face of mine my boys will remember!

Bedtime Snacks

Tonight was baseball night. That means concession stand food at best for dinner. After the game the boys go straight to the bathtub, then they have a snack supper. Tonight I went all out and served cereal.

D chose his standby, Corn Chex. Here's how my conversation went with G:

Mom: G, do you want this kind? (Chex)

G: No

Mom: Do you want O's?

G: No

Mom: Well, what kind do you want?

G: I want the chicken kind!

Mom: (with disgust) What??!!

G: I want chicken cereal!!!

Mom: What on earth is chicken cereal??

G: (louder) I want chicken cereal!

Mom: (light bulb moment) Do you mean Corn Flakes, the kind with the chicken on the box?

G: Yeah!

Mom: Sorry, we don't have that kind anymore.

G: Ok, I'll have D's cereal.

As BooMama says - "Oh mercy, Mama needs a nerve pill!"

Cha-Ching!

Wouldn't it be great to get this for mother's day? Not just as a token, but as a real check!!! But, I have to admit, I was disappointed there was no category on the list of mother's jobs that included "reading blogs"!! Maybe my hours would more closely match the national average if I didn't sit on my behind reading what's going on in other people's lives!!!

80's Party

Hubby turned 40 the other day! I knew I couldn't pull off a surprise party, so the theme was the only surprise. Being a teenager in the 80's, it just seemed like the perfect party theme. So, for weeks I'd been searching for clothes, music, costumes, trinkets, etc. to have at this party! Well, it worked out GREAT!!! His cake reminded him we think he's "Totally Awesome"!

His favorite 80's movie is Top Gun, with Ice Man being his favorite character. So I found a t-shirt for him to wear. That isn't a dead squirrel on his head, it's actually a hideous mullet wig!

My get-up ended up being a combination of some very bad 80's fashions! Cyndi Lauper wig, bright plastic jewelry, pants that were almost like parachute pants, and jellies for shoes! I'd forgotten how hot those shoes were!
Some of our friends had a great time dressing up. C looked great with her side ponytail and leggings, K's hair was BIG and her jeans were rolled perfectly, M's dress looked just like what she wore to church back in 1984 - in fact, it was! A was perfect head to toe - big hair, layered pastel shirts, a belt with a bow, and jellies. Her hubby wore his Moguls jersey from his days in MHS. We played 80's trivia, including video trivia mostly from one-hit-wonders. We'd forgotten A LOT! We had 80's music playing and rubik's cubes on the tables. Every time a new song would come on we'd all say, "Oh, I love this song. Now, THIS is the 80's"!! And, of course, it wouldn't be a throwback to our teenage years without pizza and cokes!

One of the highlights of the evening was the video ipod we surprised him with. The other surprise was his mom and niece coming in for the party.

The evening was a ton of fun and Hubby was very happy with the party. It was the perfect theme, but I'm glad we didn't have to stay back in the 80's!!!!

One Year

One year ago today I started this blog. It's funny how, even on day one, I seemed obsessed already! Reading over last year's entry, I realize I haven't learned anything and I'm still just as obsessed reading everyone's blogs - only one year later I have tripled the number of blogs I read regularly. Maybe during year two I'll actually write more blog entries than I read!

Since beginning this blogging (today), I have found it very time consuming! Nothing else is getting done! My baby has been neglected. Every once in a while I will get up and make a bed, vacuum something, or pay a bill, but after each chore I run back to the computer and read another blog written by people I don't even know! Does anyone else find this bizarre, yet wonderfully satisfying? I try to read what heartsjoy has to say because I have known her for about 10 years. I can hear her voice as I read. But I get distracted on her blog because I am checking out all her buddies and what they have to say! I really like supermom. She says just what I am unable to articulate. I love that!

A few minutes ago I heard my husband come through the house. We live in the parsonage, so he walks over to the house quite often. You may think, "how nice", but sometimes it startles me (and annoys me). When I heard him coming, I switched screens to make it look like I was deeply involved in planning VBS! He would love the idea of my blogging, because he is a writer and reads blogs all the time. He is the one who should be blogging! But I feel guilty when I am on the internet when I should be doing other things!

I'm getting off the computer now. The baby is asleep and big brother is at school. Hubby has returned to the church. I should go do my pilates!!!!

Distractions

I did something wonderful yesterday. Something I've needed to do for a LONG time. Something I should have learned from JRR's wife a long time ago, since she has done this many times before. I got rid of everyone and cleaned my house! I worked from one end to the other and it felt so good! I'm prone to distractions and seldom finish anything I start. My house is NEVER clean all at the same time - except last year during our Christmas Open House. I'm not saying it's perfectly clean now, but the major clutter is put away.

The remarkable thing about it is that I was actually able to concentrate and get it done. Concentration is something I struggle with everyday. I'm very easily distracted. With 3 other people needing me throughout the day, sometimes at the same time, I find it very hard to keep up. So, yesterday's accomplishments were great for my confidence. I really may not be losing my mind!

Now that cleaning my house is out of the way, I can once again focus on hubby's 40th birthday bash Saturday, and VBS training Sunday! I can't believe these 2 events are back to back. Maybe I AM losing my mind!!!

Check it Out!

My sis has big news!

I guess God thinks we need one more. Next time it will be twin girls! It will need to be quad girls to get caught up with the boys!

G Says

Mom: "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

G: "Hungry"


No surprise there!

I'm Still Here

In January I began a new Bible study that asked us to give up something for a season. Since blogging and reading blogs is a huge distraction for me, I've scaled back. One day soon I will be back full force blogging about my life and reading everyone else's blogs regularly - hopefully with some resolve to limit my time!

Just a quick story about G...Yesterday I made him a cup of "choca milk". When I handed it to him I said "This is very chocolatey" and he said "and milky!"

Too cute!

I Love this Game!

Happy Birthday JRR!

I'm a terrible sister! It's not that I forgot his birthday, I just let life get in the way! I had every intention of writing a moving tribute before his birthday, but...

Most of you who read this blog know my brother personally. In fact, you've known him a long time. But some of you have never met him, so let me tell you about him.

JRR was born 13 months after me. Growing up, we were very close. By the time I left for college, we were the best of friends. We genuinely enjoyed being together! Soon after I got married, JRR got very sick. He was stricken with a debilitating disease that almost took his life. The next couple of years were difficult and strenuous, but he survived! In fact, at his wedding, he walked his high school sweetheart down the aisle - something very few people would have predicted he'd be able to do! He has an amazing amount of strength and faith in God.

He is a great husband. I don't know how his wife puts up with him sometimes, but those two really love each other! They have a beautiful marriage. JRR is also a wonderful dad to 2 hilarious boys and one very special girl. Parenting hasn't always been easy, but he and J desperately depend on the Lord and His plan for their family.

Besides politics, JRR loves history, music, Lord of the Rings, Braveheart, and Star Wars!

J and J had their kids a few years before I had mine. Kacole and I got to spend lots of time with L, H, and L when they were babies. So, when the time came for me to become a mom, we lived far from home. After the grandmothers had done their duty with me and headed back home, JRR took his vacation, stayed home with his preschool/toddler kids, and flew J up to Des Moines to be with me. He may think it was so we could catch up on girlfriend time. But it was so much more than that! She helped me figure out this new thing called motherhood. It was one of the greatest gifts I've ever received.

Now, I've made him sound like a saint! In everyday life, he's sarcastic, obnoxious, hilarious, and did I say OBNOXIOUS!? Spend anytime with JRR and there will be eye-rolling, hearty laughter, and thought-provoking discussion. I wouldn't change anything about him!!