'Twas the Night before Christmas

Christmas Eve we spent at home as a family, including Pop and GG.  Daddy brought home Papa John’s so we didn’t have to cook. Once we got the twins to bed, Mark helped us set up the twins’ presents. Pop and GG gave them Radio Flyer Big Wheels which Pop assembled. Mark helped Daddy set up a train track good enough to be permanent for the twins and we glued it down to the table. I searched through all the moving boxes I could find that might have Thomas toys in them and we set the trains on the track. So, except for the table that I got at a yard sale, the whole thing was a “recycled” gift. Don’t judge. They don’t know, and they were extremely happy with the whole thing! They enjoyed playing “Choo-choos” the next day for hours. (As long as we could keep them from fighting over the trains.)

We hadn’t yet gotten a Christmas tree, so Pop and Gantt went over to Pop’s new house and pulled an artificial tree out of their storage. They  didn’t realize it was a little “corner” tree. However, it was just for one day and it was better than nothing! It turned out to be just what we needed to put the gifts under.

And I know Santa looks forward to his Dr. Pepper at our house - I'm sure he needs a little break from milk now and then!

Seeing Santa

On Christmas Eve, we took the boys to see Santa Claus. Mark was a good sport about going along, even though he made it clear he would STAND and not SIT on Santa’s lap. GG had made reservations and paid in advance so we didn’t have to stand in the super-long line. A fast-pass to see Santa at the mall – who knew there was such a thing?

All dressed up and ready to go!

The twins were quite excited – I guess they had seen Santa Claus on TV and on books and such, because we hadn’t made it a big deal or specifically taught them about him. You can see the expectation on their faces in the pictures.

G with Pop looking at all the decorations

I caught this photo of Brett at the end of him saying, “Santa Claus”, and you can see his little tongue sticking out as he completes the “s” sound.

However, once we got up to Santa, Brett’s bravado disappeared and he was quite nervous! Even having mom beside him wasn’t enough – he had to have GG holding him or else he was going to lose it! We got a good picture, though, and couldn’t believe when we looked at it that Gantt was actually smiling! We have few posed pictures where he is smiling, so we were pleasantly surprised! And here they are at lunch afterward - everyone had to sit in Pop's lap!!

IVs at home

This is what IVs at home look like. In times past we've had to administer the IVs up to 5 times a day. This round is only 3 times a day - every 8 hours. Here is a picture of Brett's Broviac central line (tunneled catheter). I have also added pictures of the other types to my Broviacs, PICCs, and Ports, oh my! page.

The catheter actually comes out of his skin (called the "Site") underneath the circle, which is called a "Bio-patch." It has some extra antibiotic on it to reduce further infection, mostly used while in the hospital.

This round is only one drug, and we administer every 8 hours. I have chosen 7am, 3pm, and 11pm. Basically, we  flush with saline, hook up the medicine, let it run about 30 minutes, then unhook and flush again with saline and heparin. That way we're in bed at 11:30 at the latest and don't have to get up super early, because this round is happening over Christmas Break from school.

The medicine comes in this pressure-filled ball, called an elasti-ball, or elastomeric ball. To me, this is supremely more convenient than the kind that comes in pre-filled syringes that we have to prime and put inside a very heavy pump that runs on "D" batteries. It looks as if it was made in the 70s. In fact, it probably actually was. 

Anyways, this is great because it's very light. We hook it up to Brett's broviac and put it in his backpack, and he just wears it around for the 30 minutes. At night we just lay it beside him in the bed. The backpack is for his g-tube feed, which is still going for 18 hours a day, so he must wear it around 6 waking hours. Don't feel bad for him, though. The backpack is his freedom from an IV pole. 

Student of the Month!

In November, Mark was selected by his 3rd grade teacher to be Student of the Month!

Mark with Mrs. Shelton

Mrs. Shelton chose Mark to be student of the month based on the character trait of Decisiveness. He was recognized publicly at chapel - and it was a surprise to him! He also got to have a special lunch with his principal and other students of the month in November. Below is the essay that Mrs. Shelton wrote about Mark and what she actually read aloud during her presentation that day. I'm not sure I have ever been more proud of my boy that than day!

Decisiveness is a character trait that requires much integrity. To be decisive is to have a heart that purposefully desires to do the will of God. The Bible says in Isaiah 50:7, "Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do His will, and I know that I will not be put to shame." This means no matter what comes your way, you know which path you will walk.

I have one student in my class that has shown "decisiveness" in such a Christ-like manner. He has decided and set in his heart to follow Jesus no matter the hardships or bad days. He has chosen the right path, and I admire him greatly. He is one who does not desire the "glory" or the "recognition" from anyone, but simply desires to have his heart set on God. he has made one such decision which has granted him this award. He chose to befriend another student in his class who is new. He has tried to include this student in every way he could. One day, on the playground, this wonderful student led his friend to Christ and prayed the "sinner's prayer" with him. He made the decision to be a "soul winner" and a witness for God despite any circumstances around him. He didn't do this to get recognition or any attention. He simply made the right choice. I am so very proud of this student. This is extreme love and God and His angels are rejoicing in heaven over another soul saved. This is what life is all about. This is why I am giving the award of the Student of the Month to Mark Reasoner. God's richest blessings on you, Mrs. Shelton."

Mark also got Student of the Month back in first grade for the character trait of "Love." It was a similar situation - befriending and including the "new boy." Here is the link to that post. What Mrs. Shelton couldn't share in chapel is that while Mark had tried to befriend this boy, the boy was actually not very nice to Mark in many ways. Having such a gentle heart/spirit, it's difficult for Mark when people aren't nice to him. But despite that, once he heard the boy say on the playground that he was going to heaven because he was a good boy, Mark did stand up that moment and share the truth, that no one comes to the Father on his own merit, it is only by faith in Jesus Christ, his Son.  I am not sure how "real" the prayer of this boy's heart was, I am supremely proud of Mark for caring enough to help someone get on the right track. I pray Mark will grow in his faith and will keep that gentle spirit he has been blessed with as a child into his teenage and adult years!

An Extravagant Gift!

My friend, Sylvia Basham, wrote this essay and posted it on her blog, sylviabasham.blogspot.com.  I loved the story and the parallels she drew between her experience as a child and the extravagant gift God gave us when he sent his Son! Have a very Christ-filled Christmas!!

An Extravagant Gift

Fourth grade was a long time ago for me. Forty-one years ago. But it wasn’t so long ago that I don’t remember the gift that year. The year was 1970 and Go Go Girls (not to be confused with GaGa) were all the rage with their long straight hair, miniskirts and tall white boots.



It was also the fall of that year that my dad was sent to prison. Moonshining did not carry a heavy penalty but it was a criminal act to not pay taxes on his sales, so my dad was sentenced to six months in a minimum security facility. Six months of his life meant six months away from his wife and three little girls, of which I was the oldest at the age of nine.

I’m sure my mom was more than a little anxious about how her family would survive. Our house had three rooms, no indoor plumbing, no telephone, a coal heater and was miles up a “holler” away from civilization and even an hour away from her closest relatives. Life was already hard, but now she wouldn’t have any help.

Our basic needs were met and I’m sure government assistance played a part in that. As a little girl, I had no clue the hardship because we were loved and I can’t remember ever being hungry. But it was late fall, and Christmas was on its way.

Honestly, I don’t remember too much about that event in the life of our family, but I do recall getting a huge package that year under the tree. Have you ever had a big package? I can only imagine my eyes as a nine year old, unwrapping a three foot tall very fashionable Go Go girl doll. It seemed so extravagant.

It wasn’t until I was grown that I found out where our gifts came from that year. Remember my dad was sent to prison? For him to be sent to prison, there had to be a prosecutor, someone who presented a body of evidence to prove my dad’s guilt. The prosecuting attorney compiled the evidence and convinced the judge and jury that my dad had indeed broken the law. Someone had to pay.

As an adult I was talking about remembering that extravagant gift I received that year and my mom reminded the information that had somehow escaped me as a child. The very one who ensured my dad was convicted, the prosecutor, also made sure there was a way for our family to celebrate Christmas that year.

The prosecutor’s motivation for doing that was never revealed to me. Even though I grew up and ended up working at the sheriff’s office at the courthouse (oh the irony for someone with my family background), I never got to meet him. Whatever the reason for blessing our family that year, he truly was a blessing, giving us three little girls such extravagant gifts.

And now as an adult looking back on that event, it is to me on some level a picture of what God did for us when He gave us such an extravagant gift in sending His Son Jesus to us.

God, who is holy and perfect, presents the Standard to which none of us could measure up. Evidence of our sin and guilt is apparent when held up to the light of His holiness and righteousness. We have no righteousness in front of Him. Because of our sin and guilt, a sentence has to be served. Someone had to pay for the wrongs that we have done.

Just as the prosecuting attorney sealed my dad’s conviction, then made a way for the little girls to have gifts, so God, whose very existence and character have convicted us, has given a gift that we celebrate each Christmas season. And it truly is an extravagant gift. A precious son who was born to take on the all the sin of all of us in the world - crushing, painful sin that separated Him for a period of time from His father.

As with all human analogies, this one breaks down pretty quickly, so I don’t know if I would even call it an analogy, maybe just a few parallels. It’s just that the generosity of the prosecutor was an act that reminded me how much more God has done that for us.

And if that’s not clear to you, let me continue. Because He is holy and righteous and because we are not, we need an extravagant gift of grace to be able to have relationship with God. Each Christmas those of us who are Christians celebrate the arrival of that package, that extravagant gift. I’m sure you all know that Jesus’ birth is the reason for celebrating Christmas. But what was the reason for His birth?




The reason for His birth was to bridge that gap between God’s holiness and our sinfulness. The payment came in the form of Jesus, not simply by his birth, but decades later from His sacrificial death on a wooden cross to shed blood that would pay for our sins. All sins that have been committed, are now being committed and will be committed. He paid for it already.



And that payment, that extravagant gift, leaves us with a glaring decision. We need to decide what to do with that extravagant gift. I’m sure when I received that 3 foot tall Go Go doll that I didn’t ignore it and I certainly didn’t ask to return it. I’m sure my eyes were wide and that I accepted that gift. I used that gift as it was intended.

I’ve done the same and accepted the extravagant gift that God has offered. A verse that will be familiar to many of you and that many of us learned growing up speaks of this gift. Probably even many of your children know it. It’s one of the things we used to whisper to our kids when we tucked them into bed.

John 3.16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.

What a gift! And also what a decision you must make as you celebrate this season. You must decide if you will accept this gift of being rescued. Will you choose to believe that He’s given His life and choose to accept that gift so that you can spend eternity with God?

I pray that is your choice. And I pray that if you have already accepted this wondrous gift that you will join me in telling others of this extravagant gift. Because the gift of Jesus is far more precious than any other gift you could give your children, your relatives, your neighbors or your friends, and it is for sure more precious than any Go Go doll could ever be, no matter if she is 3 ft tall!

Hospitalization #14-Day 4

Going home today! Brett is looking and feeling much better now. 

We are all ready to be home together again. We really feel as though getting him in now was the right decision to stay on top of his health and lung disease. Also, we hope that addressing his lung infection will help him to begin gaining weight again. While here at the hospital we advanced the feeds to a higher rate with a higher calorie per ounce. He has been doing well with this combination so far, just in the past few days. He has gained a whole pound!! Looking forward to a merry Christmas full of appreciation for being together with family!

Hospitalization #14 - Day 3

Brett continues to do well on his IV antibiotics. We are also trying to advance his feeds so that he can hopefully gain some weight! It's such a blessing to not be on contact or droplet precautions! Brothers got to visit and we had such fun!

Brett may not care for his bed too much, but the brothers thought it was great!...until Mark started adjusting the bed by pushing the buttons and then Gantt got a little freaked out and started crying.

All the boys got to visit the playroom together...

Here's an "Action shot" of Mark shooting the basketball

You really just never know how children perceive events - and I'm sure it depends a lot upon the perspective and example of the parents. Some of the times I've thought of as "bad" or "unfortunate" have turned out to be the things Mark has cherished most. For example, he wrote at school that his favorite Thanksgiving was the one we spent at the hospital. And one of his favorite memories is decorating Brett's hospital room for Christmas and painting his windows. Mark was actually disappointed we got to come home for Christmas last year since he had done so much work decorating! So be good parents wherever you find yourself - it's the relationships that matter much more than locations and circumstances. Merry Christmas!