May 22, 2010
Mr. & Mrs. Zachary Hess
Tom and I can't begin to express to you how grateful we are to have such godly children. Children who have left their "newlywed life" in Indiana to come and serve us here in Columbus. God is preparing them for a great ministry together. We get to witness everyday their love for Jesus, His gospel and His people! We are so thankful that God brought their lives together so they can serve Him as "one flesh". Not a day goes by that we don't thank the Lord for His timing...Tom was able to walk his only daughter down the aisle to meet her husband. We gladly handed Sarah into Zac's care and now that we've had the privilege of time, and now to share our home with Zac, we know why she fell in love with him. He chooses to honor the Lord in all he does and we are so grateful to have a son-in-love who we really love! Last Friday we were able to witness a "surprise of a lifetime" as Zac planned a get away trip for the two of them to Florida! What fun it was to be able watch the excitement build for Zac and the plan to come off without a hitch as Sarah was blindfolded and whisked away to the airport! I had asked Sarah to get home from work early to help with Tom when Matt met her at the door, Tom and I said "have fun and we love you" while Zac hid in Matt's car and then Matt drove them to the airport all the while Sarah never knew Zac was in the car until Matt told her to remove the blindfold and Zac said, "are you ready for vacation?"!! Tom had the biggest Cheshire cat grin on his face and Sarah said she knew something was up when she saw Tom's face! We know they will enjoy some alone time at my parents place in Venice (while my parents are visiting here)...memories of a lifetime.
"So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”
Matthew 19:6
Much has happened since I've last posted...last Thursday wasn't such a good day for Tom which then makes for a tough day for all of us who are near and dear to him. He's been battling "pink eye" and when I called to see if he should go to therapy they recommended he stay home. Hind sight is 20/20 but boy am I glad we didn't go...it was close to the time we should leave when Tom let loose with vomit. Stephanie LaMonte was here at the time delivering our Thursday meal and she is now on my list of "troopers" as she helped with the clean up process. She quickly grabbed the i-pad that had a direct hit and I tended to Tom. After getting him changed, Steph out the door and Tom in the bed, I moved the kitchen table off the rug so I could take the rug outside and hose it down! My parents arrived in the aftermath and we consoled each other and tried to brush aside the sickness in our stomachs not knowing what this could mean. It was about an hour later another eruption came but with more warning and a bowl nearby. Tom spent most of the day in bed and by evening he was feeling much better.
I'm so grateful that I had the privilege of hosting for my sister's birthday dinner. What fun it was to grill out and enjoy a beautiful evening celebrating a beautiful life. Thanks Terry and Kelly for allowing us to share in your birthday celebration.
So thankful to have Papa & Granny here!
They are enjoying our Florida-like weather...
Big smiles for the EXPECTANT mom!
Yes...Emily is due in December...12-12-12 to be exact!
Congratulations Travis & Emily...we are so happy for you both.
Nathan & Aubrey
Cassidy & Matt
Sister love...Kelly & Lisa
Birthday Girl!
I realized I took every one's picture...but Tom's...disappointing myself once again.
A few weeks back Tom was feeling "blue" and said he didn't have much purpose. We brainstormed and quickly learned that having some things to look forward to would be healthy and give us both a boost of normalcy. So we had the opportunity to purchase tickets to go to my cousin's, son's musical and make plans to go to our great-nephew's dedication service on June 10th. Both of these events put hope and excitement in our hearts. This past Saturday we traveled to Mansfield to have dinner at Cracker Barrel (11 of us) and then head to South Central High School for their production of "Grease"! It was so fun and very well done. We are so proud of Haydon (lead, Danny) and Noah (Doody) who did fantastic acting and singing (both had solos)! It did my heart good to hear Tom laugh so hard and seem so relaxed (maybe because is wasn't a WCHS event).
Not a great picture but Haydon (center) & Noah (2nd from right)
Haydon "Danny Zuko" Dotson
Having the time of his life...
from the football field to basketball court to stage...
well rounded young man!
Braden, Noah "Doody" Dotson & Zac
Great job Noah!
The meals we enjoyed this week:
Chicken Enchiladas, Chips with Black Bean & Corn Salsa
AND
Brownies
Thank You, Lisa Bauman...what a yummy blessing!
Chicken Enchiladas, Corn Bread Muffins, Fresh Veggies
AND
Mixed Berries over Pound Cake
Thank You, Stephanie LaMonte...you truly are a blessing...
I am so sorry for the mess you walked into...you are a gift & treasured friend!
A sweet gift from Marian Davis...more encouragement from a dear prayer warrior!
Today Tom had his 4th Avastin infusion and he weighed in at 220 pounds! This is the most he's ever weighed and it seems to put a smile on his face...however the realization that is idle lifestyle is the reason...so it's a bittersweet smile. At 6'7" he has always wanted to put pounds on and it's been a difficult task with his active lifestyle and speedy metabolism...all that has changed. When the technician took us back to Tom's room we found out that some of the infusion rooms are double rooms! Tom's "roommate" was a lady who was being treated for a rare form of leukemia, her husband and daughter were with her and all five of us were crammed into a small room! This family is from Urbana, Ohio and have been to a Living Christmas Tree concert at our church several years ago! With Tom's difficulty in communication and his inability to leave to use the restroom made being in a double room not a good situation. It wasn't long before they put Tom in his own room and he was able to relax a little better. Tom was stuck three times before they got the IV in...with the first two sticks blowing veins...poor guy. After some lunch and a game of Skipbo we were checking out at 2:30! Tom has a follow-up MRI and doctor's appointment before his next infusion on June 4th. Thank you in advance for joining us in praying that the doctor will be blown away by what God is doing in and through Tom's body.
More "daily drama": once we were home from chemo, Tom was up for another game of Skipbo on the patio before going down for his nap. After Tom was down for his nap I continued to stay on the patio enjoying the shade of the umbrella making my "lists" and starting this blog when Tom called me in to use the bathroom. While Tom was in the bathroom we heard a loud crash that made us both jump. I speculated that a shelf in the garage fell...when we looked in the garage...all was well...then the sight on the patio put us in disbelief...the wind caught the umbrella and tipped over the glass top table shattering it into a gazillion pieces. Tom and I then began to try to find something to be thankful for: thankful I wasn't sitting there when the table tipped and the i-pad was on the ground covered in glass shards, unharmed!
Matt & Katelyn
MVNU Graduation 2012
It has been so awesome to have Matt home. He finished his sophomore year at Mt. Vernon this past Friday. He was able to go back to MVNU on Saturday and see Katelyn graduate and receive her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. Now we pray for her as she studies to pass her boards...congratulations, Katelyn! Matt started his summer job today. He is working second shift at Worthington Cylinders building Volvo break cylinders. We pray that he can work hard, show himself approved and be a light for Jesus. He really is a huge help with Tom and Tom feels comfortable with Matt's help.
