Mid-day proved to be very difficult for Brad....lots of trouble breathing and he struggled to rest comfortably. He was feeling quite emotional and altogether overwhelmed...we were feeling some of the same. We sat on the bed praying and singing to him to try to ease some of his anxiety.

He slept for several hours this afternoon and woke up feeling just a little bit better. He was able to eat dinner, take some of his supplements and even sit up for a little while. I would not have thought that to be possible based on how he looked this afternoon.

Brad's comfort level is so much more steady and I am so relieved. He is resting peacefully right now and has had a pretty calm evening. We can certainly feel God's comforting presence.

Thank you God for lifting our anxieties and giving us peace & rest tonight.

It is difficult to find the words to share with everyone this morning. I know that there are so many praying and anxiously waiting for updates.

We are keeping Brad medicated to ease his anxiety, control his cough, and steady his breathing. This seems to be working to keep him much calmer, but it does make him feel very tired. He has a very difficult time keeping his eyes open...even if he is awake. We feel blessed that he is resting well and is able to sleep pretty consistantly at night.

It has been very difficult the last week or so. In the last 10 days, Brad has only left our bedroom just a couple of times. He is just completely worn out from fighting this battle for so long. He keeps telling me that at this point, it is completely in God's hands because he doesn't have any more energy to fight anymore.

In my darker moments my mind slips into visualizing how terribly I will miss my sweet husband if God chooses to bring him Home. Last night I just couldn't get those thoughts out of my head. In my better moments I am able to focus on how I know God is in control. He has a perfect plan for our family (no matter how distorted it may look to my human mind) and He will take care of our every need. I know that He will not give us more than we are able to handle and He is carrying us through this trying time.

I also know that at ANY time God can still choose to heal Brad completely. There is always hope that God will choose to intervene and change his outlook. We pray constantly for that miracle.

Thank you for continuing to pray for our family. You have continued to shower us with your love and compassion. Your support means everything to us.

Needing To Be Close to Daddy

At naptime Kaelyn asked for her "Daddy rock her." I told her that he couldn't get up and rock her but that she could lay down next to him. That seemed satisfactory to her, so she climbed into bed with him and went to sleep. They were so sweet sleeping next to each other.

Thursday, Feb. 26

This is Lisa again, Jen asked me to update the blog. It's been a rough several days. Brad is resting now. He and Jenny went out for a drive today, just to get a little change of scenery. I know the family is so grateful for everyone's prayers for Brad's peace. He has had more of the medications today to help with anxiety and ease the breathing, as well as suppress the seemingly constant cough--those have helped keep him a little more comfortable; however, he remains very weak, and very tired, both physically and emotionally. We know all of you are praying so hard for Brad, and for Jenny, and we thank you. This situation, as it always has been, is in God's hands. We continue to beseech Him for healing, but most of all, for Brad to feel God's presence, and to draw comfort and strength from that presence. "And to Him who is able to do, immeasurably more, than all we ask or imagine..." Eph. 3:20

Things are going a little better today. Brad seems to be more at peace...he is calmer...and he is resting reasonably well. He also slept pretty well last night.

Thank you for your sweet messages and your prayers.

No need to leave the house to head for the salon. I now have my very own in-house stylist...just like the stars have! Zeke blew my hair out for me the other day. He was so funny while he did it...he was so meticulous and careful. I looked a little "wild" after he was done, but he reassured me that it was the "latest look."

Brad had another difficult day..both physically and emotionally. He felt overwhelmed with grief and kept saying that he is so tired of being in the same physical state, without signs of improvement. He was also frustrated with his lack of energy and shortness of breath.

The highlight of today was the visit from the praise team this evening. They stood around our bed and sang his favorite praise songs...it was very moving. There is nothing like hearing praise songs being sung in acapella...especially in a small space. Brad received his very own personal concert...it was wonderful & uplifting.

We also spent more time in meditation after everyone left. Following that session, Brad said that he was the most relaxed that he had been in days. I was incredibly encouraged to see him more peaceful and content.

Thank you for your prayers.

Wims Fun Run--Important!

This is Lisa. I am posting about the upcoming Wims Fun Run that is supposed to be held on March 7, 2009 at the Clear Creek High School Ninth Grade Campus in Clear Lake, Tx. We have just received word that the event might be cancelled if there is not enough people registered by the time the committee meets on Wednesday, Feb. 25. If there is any way any of you can take part in this awesome event for the Wims, please use the following contact information to find out the quickest way you can register. Thanks!
Janie Shults jshults@ccisd.net
281-284-1782

More of the same

This is Matt, Jenny's brother. Jenny has asked me to give an update from the weekend. Jenny and Brad are currently resting and watching movies...

It has been more of the same over the past couple of days. He is staying in his bed and continues to have "spells" that interrupt his breathing. Brad trys to talk less to keep his breathing up but continues to show his resilience and belief that he can overcome his disease and the latest setback. His positive attitude is remarkable and unrelenting. Last night was better than the night before and there was a small church service held this morning.

Thank you very much for the thoughts and prayers. The support and love shown to my family has been overwhelming and I can't put into words what it means to us. We continue to walk by faith and not by sight and know that God will show us through this.

Brad has been feeling about the same today. He had a tough time this afternoon with more coughing and more breathing difficulty. The bright point of my day was after an emotional afternoon he looked straight into my eyes and told me that despite how poorly he has been feeling, he still believed that God will heal him. It is so reassuring to hear him reaffirm his strong belief in God's love & healing power.

Thank you for your prayers.

Brad had a slightly better day...he slept well last night which was a huge blessing. However, he is still struggling to breathe more often than we are comfortable with. When he coughs now, it leaves him very light-headed & dizzy. We are praying for an easier day for him tomorrow.

We appreciate all of your thoughts, kind words, and prayers.

Tough Day

Brad had an incredibly difficult day today. It wasn't as scary as the 28th...or the week following, but he did have some intense breathing challenges...more shallow, quicker breaths which sometimes led to light-headedness.

Brad woke up this morning not feeling quite right and he never seemed to bounce back from it. I am wondering if our humid, pollen-filled air has something to do with it. He seems almost to be struggling with allergy-type symptoms. If his compromised lungs are only further challenged by allergies...it would make sense to me why he would suddenly be struggling in such a way. Tonight we are trying a medication with a nasal decongestant & antihistimine to see if it gives him any relief.

We were all very emotional today as we again witnessed Brad have such breathing issues. The thought of him not being able to get enough air can be very frightening. We are certainly asking for more prayers right now. Brad continues to emit a very strong, positive attitude. He affirmed tonight that he knows God can heal him and he prayed that God choose tonight to do so. I know that Brad is tired of struggling in this way, but he continues to amaze me with his strength and attitude. He is such an amazing man.

Thank you for praying for our family. We love you all.

Visit from The Shelton's

This weekend we were blessed by a visit from Scott & Tammie Shelton. We spent most of Saturday testing out our skills on "Mario Kart" and sitting around catching up with each other. It was nice to spend some time just relaxing. The kids spent Friday with my parents. On Saturday Sandra & David took Zeke to see the Chinese acrobats at Jones Hall. So...all in all..it was an unusually quiet weekend at our house.

We haven't had the opportunity to spend much time with both Scott & Tammie in a while...we always enjoy their company. They are a lot of fun to be around.

Valentine Fun with Friends

Our sweet life group organized a party at our home last night to celebrate Valentine's Day together. The ladies put in lots of time and thought with the decorating, planning and catering. And, our very kind friends Tom & Vanessa Martin joined us to serve the meal...restaurant-style. Thank you to everyone who helped with the party! It was such a fun night.





Our sweet life group.

Pictures with our Valentines...

Sugar Cookie Recipe

(Here you go Bobbie!)

This is a recipe that I got from a family friend, Debbie Beane. She makes the most amazing sugar cookies and decorates them beautifully! As a child I can always remember LOVING those cookies...they are probably my favorite dessert.

1/2 c shortening
1 c sugaR
2 eggs
2 T canned milk
1 T almond extract
3 1/2 c flour
2 t baking powder

Bake at 350 for 8-10 mins. (do not let them get brown)

As for the icing...I don't really have a recipe....here is my best guess as to what I used
2 t almond extract
1/2 c warm milk
2 T shortening
1 box powdered sugar
1 T food coloring

I think this is about right...I'm not exactly certain of the amounts.

"Time Out"side

Kaelyn has been spending a lot of time in T.O. recently so those words stood out to me in the heading. The joys of 2. Right now Kaelyn is struggling with 1st time obedience and frequently tests the boundary of having to ask an adult before she exits the house. There have been multiple times that we find her outside in the sandbox or playing on the porch by herself. She usually goes to T.O. at least 2-3 times a day for this infraction. Fun times.

Brad had a better day today and was able to spend a little time outdoors enjoying the "picture-perfect" weather. Thank you God for a beautiful day...it was unbelievable!

Kaelyn was excited to receive a valentine in the mail from Maelyn & Anna Dayton. Thanks girls!



This is Kaelyn's new pose...she is quite proud of it. It seconds as a greeting for new company...the first greeting is getting down onto the ground and rolling around for a few minutes. Then it moves to the stand on your head and put your hynee in the air pose. Guests are always VERY impressed with these moves.




This is the same look from a different angle. Kaelyn thinks she is being HILARIOUS when she does this move. Personally, I wouldn't be caught dead being photographed from this angle, but you can get away with a lot when you are 2.





Chalk artwork of our family. Artist: Zeke Wims. In order from left to right: Kaelyn, Zeke, Daddy ("because he is the tallest) and then Mommy. If you will notice he pointed with arrows who was who. I am marked with an arrow leading off an "M" for Mommy. I had to take a photo of this..I love family portraits!















This is the "sleeping Koala bear" pose.

Jewelry Man

I took a close look at Zeke tonight and just started to laugh. He has such an affinity to jewelry...it cracks me up. 3 necklaces, 2 bracelets, a watch and an anklet today. The reason I found it especially funny was because I managed to coaxe him out of the 3 plastic bracelets he had on yesterday...by convincing him that I needed to wash his arm better. I try to do this as he starts to take on a "Mr. T" look. I usually take a few off and "lose" them somewhere...and typically he forgets about them. By tonight he had already found another bracelet to add to that arm....I mean...you can't possibly have an unadorned arm?...that would be terrible!

Valentine Party Preparations

Brad & I have a favorite dessert. We both share a passion for sugar cookies with almond extract icing. I decided to make some today to send to Zeke's school for his Valentine's party. I signed up at the beginning of the year to be room mother for his class and needless to say, I haven't helped out with ANYTHING. So, this is my first attempt at doing something "Room Mother-ish." I absolutely LOVe decorating cookies. I don't like trying to make the right thickness with the icing or creating the right color...but I do like to decorate once the icing is made.

So...after about 5 hours of cookie making...here is what we came up with. Zeke even made his own cookie. I was so impressed that he was able to write his name on his cookie. I have a hard time using that icing-squirter-thingy and I've had a lot of practice. Maybe there's a future in cookie making for him!




It certainly isn't a part of our diet...but I convinced Brad that he needed to have just one cookie that I made just for him.

Good Day

Brad is having quite a good day today. He was feeling a little down last night because he felt that he just wasn't improving (or at least not improving quickly). We prayed fervently for God to give him more energy, easier breathing, less coughing and big healing today. I feel that our prayers are being answered today...which is such a great encouragement. Thank you for your prayers.

A Few Shots Before School

Kaelyn put on her birthday shirt that "Mrs. Merda" (ie Merla) gave her this morning..then proceeded to walk around singing "Happy Birthday" to herself. Despite a number of attempts, I couldn't get her to sing the whole song on camera. This will have to do.

Superhero Flying Practice

This is a video of "camera-shy" Zeke practicing his flying skills. My favorite part is when I turned the camera towards his Daddy...then Zeke just moves to where the camera is pointed.

Zeke's Dental Visit

Zeke went to the dentist this afternoon for a cleaning and check-up. He did such a great job with the entire process. His favorite part was when he got to be in charge of the remote while the dental hygenist worked on his teeth...it's always impressive if you can watch cartoons while your teeth are being flossed.

Zeke was so cute this afternoon. We were cleaning up the kitchen and left on the counter was a partially empty drink that a friend had left from the day before. Zeke asked me, "what are we going to do with this bottle Momma?" I said, "well, hand it to me and I'll dump it and throw the plastic in the recycling." As he walks over to the sink with the bottle, "No Momma, I'll do it...you already have enough work to do." He is just such a sweetie!

February Birthday Celebration Weekend

On Saturday, the family gathered to have a multi-birthday celebration for Papa Bill (who happened to turn the big 6-0), Kaelyn & Dan (who share the same birth date on the 11th) and Aunt Barbara. Jane organized a huge fajita feast and we sang 4 times in a row & served 4 different birthday desserts! WOW!

For entertainment, Uncle Matt decided to order one of the big blow up obstacle courses from one of the local bounce rental places. It was a HUGE hit with the kids. It arrived mid-afternoon on Saturday and is staying until tomorrow sometime. The kids have played on it NON-STOP. Thanks Uncle Matt for such a fun gift. And thank you to all the family who came to join us...we had a great time!