Track & Field Day #1 -

We beat the heat with watching Ashlyn do track and field day this morning!!!  She did such a great job on the blue team!  It was already warm and hot by 10 AM!  I would rather want warmer weather though than be sitting there chilly or wet!!!  It was so pleasant watching from the side lines and cheering Ashlyn on!

Good job, Ashlyn!!!

The elementary classes get divided up into teams and have different colors.  Ashlyn helped the blue team!

 Lots of relay races in the morning.  Here is the bean bag toss.

Shakia was on the black team.

  Maleah and Ashlyn got to be on the blue team together!

Hold hands and pass the hoop down the line!

Broom Sweep.

Scooter race.

 

Ashlyn was excited to participate in her first track and field day!!!

Kindergarten only participated in the morning events.  They are now back in class for the rest of the warm afternoon.  Austin and I watched Ashlyn do her relays but now Austin is sleeping in our cool house!!!  No complaints about the warm weather though!!!  We are excited to have the windows open and we are waiting for summer vacation to begin!!!

 

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I am VERY grateful that Mike is OK and not hurt!!!  On Monday, he left for work.  He was at the stop sign by Queen Road.  A Tahoe was coming his way but it had it's turning signal on and Mike thought he was turning.  So he pulled out!  And crash!!!  Mike said his life flashed before him and suddenly he was hit and then he realized that he was OK!!!  Praise Jesus!!!

 

He called me and said, "Hun, I was sorta in a small accident.  I'm fine and OK." 

 

"Well, that's good that you are OK!  Are you hurt?  Is everything OK?"

 

"Yeah, I'm fine."

 

Then Mike came home a little while later with Allen's truck and I didn't think too much about it.  He was on his way to Quakertown from home.  Just a little while later I talked to Mike's sister Rosie and she said something about Mike's truck being demolished.  What????  I was flipping out because Mike made it sound like just a fender bender. 

 

I called Mike back and started asking more questions!  Here, his truck is demolished but no windows were broke.  The side air bags came out.  He couldn't even drive his truck away.  His truck got towed off and the police and ambulance were there.  Mike is OK, thank goodness, but he has a bruise on his shoulder.  I drove over to look at the truck and this is how it looks.

 

God protected Mike on Monday!!!  I'm so grateful no one was seriously hurt!!!  So, now we need to go truck shopping soon!

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Austin loves muffins.  Even banana muffins!  :)))  His daddy thinks banana muffins and carrot cake should not even be such a food!!!

Now, herbs on the other hand, are both wonderful tasting and pretty!!!  The garden is showing off with their growth right now and they look so nice on the kitchen counter!!!

Yesterday, my Mom and sisters took me out for a birthday treat!  We went to Rachel's Crepe's for lunch!  The veggie burrito was super big and super good!!!  Then we shared a strawberry Nutella dessert crepe!!!  Again, so good!!!

Hadassah gave me a invitation to go with her out to the mall for a Mother's Day gift.  She treated me to a Starbucks coffee drink when we arrived and then from there on out, I was on her tail.  :)  Going from store to store buying a few things for herself and a few things for me and the other kids!  The time was fun but she didn't want a picture of us two together because she said, "Then you are just going to post it."  :)))))  Yep.

I love you Hadassah and thanks for planning a night out together!

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An update about Dad Lapp:

 

We pray.  We have faith only the size of a mustard seed at times.  We believe in miracles.  I know that God has a big plan in this big world for little me.  But when life looks like it's gonna throw you a really big hurdle, I don't know how to react.  I wish for a stronger faith and more of an understanding of God but why does it take hard stuff to make that happen? 

 

Dad Lapp is not doing well.  He is again in a hospital in Arizona with another infection.  Plans are to bring him home as soon as he is strong enough to travel!  This is such a huge decision to make and the days ahead look like mountains to club but God gives strength!  He really does!  He gives a renewed hope in knowing that God cares about us and already has all the big and little details all worked out!  I just need to let God be in control and watch intensely for miracles to happen!  Please keep praying for the Lapp family as we join hands and make decisions and embrace life with tender loving hearts! 

Mother's Day 2017

I am SO blessed to be the mother of the most adorable four children on this earth!!!!  They showered me with hugs and kisses and nice words written in cards!  The whole entire day was relaxing thanks to my wonderful husband!!!

We started the morning off with a lite breakfast before heading off to church.  My dad called and asked if Ashlyn would like to join them on the MakeAWish Truck Convoy.?.  She was excited and said "yes"!!!  We dropped her off at my parents on our way to church.

All the youth passed out red roses to all the mother's after Sunday School!!!  Matthew gave me flowers and a nice card.  Hadassah had a note in my bathroom drawer asking me to have a date spa night with her!!!  There were so many thank yous throughout the morning ... thanking our own mothers for their love and service!

We joined Gerald's and Elvin's for lunch at a pizza shop.  The men were sure that the mom's do not need to prepare lunch and pizza is always a yummy food for everyone!  It was nice to come home and not have to prepare lunch or do any dishes!!!  :)  It was nap time for me because "Little Man" feel asleep on the way home from lunch!  My nap felt so good! 

Meanwhile, the other kids relaxed and Mike got a short nap in too!  Mom dropped Ashlyn off after the truck convoy and she was so excited and had a blast!!!  Shakia and Addison drove with Dad in his big truck too!!!  Cousin fun! 

We thought about going to my parents in the evening but they had other plans.  We ended up being with Matt and Lena at JR and Angie's!  These friends are always fun to be with and we got to see Jeff and Rita too!!!  The kids had a great time while us adults fussed and laughed.

Mother's Day of 2017 was great!!!  Thank you Mike for allowing me to have a relaxing day!!!

AND ... a huge thank you to my Mom for being such a wonderful example of serving and loving and giving up of her time to often for me!!!  I love you Mom!!!  I am so glad you are my mother and friend!!!!

 

The girls in my Dad's big shed truck.

Back home ...

We are back from Arizona.  It was such a good trip for us to take.  Dad Lapp is battling a real hard fight against pancreatic cancer and Mom is trying her very best to care for Dad and assists him as much as she knows how.

Dad had a surgery in his stomach last week to make an extension around his cancer tumor.  This should now enable food and liquids to go past his tumor and digest.  Before, every time Dad would swallow liquid, some would get absorbed and the rest he would throw back up.  He threw up for days and days.  But now after this surgery, he should be able to drink and eventually eat foods.  February 28 was Dad's first surgery to remove the cancer tumor in his pancreas.  The doctors in Mexico could not remove it because it was wrapped to tightly around a blood vessel.  Dad has not been able to eat much at all since then!!!  He's lost about 60 pounds!!!  It will take some time to get him back to eating foods.  For now, he's only on full liquids.  He's been on TPN for months.  This is a source of nutrition given through IV.  His body is now physically able to digest liquids and eventually foods once again but it will be a slow process.  So much of it reminds me of a babies stomach.  Only a few swallows at a time is all he can handle.

So, the reason we went to Arizona was to be there for Mom and to see Dad again!  He was still in the hospital when we arrived.  But before we left for back home, we were able to get him out of the hospital and in an apartment with Mom.  Mom is staying at a nice two bedroom apartment that is fully furnished.  It is really nice for her and dad!  Mike and I stayed with Mom at the apartment while we were there. 

On Wednesday, Dad was discharged from the hospital and we took him to a few appointments.  He did real good sitting in his wheel chair and grinding out the afternoon!  He is so weak.  He can talk well now but his energy level is so low and walking even to the bathroom is too much for right now.  We got to see what Evita is like that afternoon.  Mom had an appointment with the doctor there to reevaluate dad.  Dad went to Arizona in March to get treatments and supplements from this clinic, Evita.  He feels good on their vitamins and treatments but when he went had to go to the hospital for his stomach surgery, his health declined even more.  After being in the hospital for almost three weeks, he needed to now get reevaluated.  Mike and I sat in the doctors meeting with Mom and Dad.  All the doctors are straight forward with Dad's diagnoses and most of them were hard words for us hear.  It hurts so much when you hear words like, "This disease is very progressed in Amos."  We know without a shadow of doubt that even if Dad has cancer really bad, we serve a God that can heal!!!  Jesus raised people from the dead!!!  He made the blind to see and the deaf to hear.  He touched so many people and healed them from their diseases.  Miracles still happen today and we trust that if God wants to heal Dad here on this earth, He will!  We also know that by praying, "God's will be done", brings tremendous peace to our souls!!!

We spent most of time sitting beside Dad's bedside or being with Mom.  Mike stayed overnight at the hospital with Dad twice!!!  But when we did get out and about for a short time, we enjoyed some foods!!!  Mike wanted us to eat at Humble Pie!  He loves this pizza!!!  Barbara came to surprise Mom and Dad on Monday!!!  She only stayed one night but we got to enjoy some pizza and time together.

And they served these hot donut holes that we squeezed warm chocolate into them.  So good!

While sitting in the hospital, I picked up one of mom's books called "When You Feel Like Giving Up" from David Wilkerson.  It has got to be one of the best books I ever read!!!  So full of scripture and truth and encouragement!!! 

And of course, we got to see lots of cactus's and mountains.  It is so gorgeous there!!!

This is the hospital dad stayed in for his stomach surgery.  We were happy to get him out of the hospital and back to a real apartment and bed!

 

 

Getting loaded up and ready to go to Evita!

 

From here .... to there.

By late Wednesday afternoon, Dad was so ready to be back in a bed and rest!  He was a champ through the meetings!  Mike and I went out to get some meds that Mom needed for Dad and for some supper.  When we got back to the apartment, Dad was hooked up on his TPN again.  Mom has become a nurse not by choice.  Arizona Home Care brought out his TPN and hook ups and then Mom took the position for caring for Dad!

Thursday morning, Mike and I packed up our bags and said our goodbyes.  We prayed together and exchanged hugs.  Leaving was so hard to do.  Letting Mom there with so much responsibility and seeing Dad lying in that bed with such little energy, just breaks my heart.  God please take care of them!!!

Our flight home went smoothly and we were so ready to hug our children once again!!!  We missed them so much while we were gone and many, many thanks to my parents for caring for them!!!  And Jody, Anna Ruth, Gerald and Verna and Jr and Lorene!!!  You guys helped us out so much with the children while we were gone!!!

Now, with our hearts and minds still in Arizona, we move on with life here at home.  The yard got mowed.  Laundry was done.  The house floors were cleaned up once again.  Getting back to making meals and celebrating our time together is life!!!

The weather was so nice in Scottsdale and with it raining pretty much since we've been home, makes me so ready to see the sun shine once again!!!

Happy weekend to you all!!!  God is good!  He is so good!!!    

Scottsdale, Arizona

We arrived safely in Scottsdale, Arizona!

We left home Friday afternoon and got to Arizona that night. 

The children are well taken care of at home and THANK YOU to all those who are helping us!

We were so happy to see Dad and Mom again!  Dad was in good spirits despite of his condition.  With just going through another surgery, to make an extension in his stomach so that food and liquid can bypass his cancer tumor, Dad was very tired.  He's still weak and was having pain.  They put a new pain patch on him plus give him oral pain meds when needed.

Mike and I went back to the apartment that night to sleep.  Mom is renting a nice apartment now instead of living in and out of a motel.  With the time change here, it was 1 AM EST till we got to sleep!

Saturday was a rougher day here.  Dad had some pain.  He woke up early in a sweat and so they cleaned his clothes and did some blood work just to be certain there wasn't any infection causing the sweats.  Dad slept a lot yesterday.  When he has a downer of a day, it affects mom too.  It's just hard seeing a loved one suffer and not well.  It's important for Dad to start eating or drinking more liquids and drinks like Ensure.  This will help nourish and strengthen his body.  He did well with that last evening and even more today.  He got up once yesterday and walked to the door, with the help of a walker.  He then sat in a chair for awhile before asking to get back into bed.  :)  Mike took a turn with spending the night here at the hospital with Dad.  He says that he is "not a nurse" and he really didn't want to stay, but he did just fine!!!  Him and Dad both slept OK and today is looking like a better day than yesterday for Dad!

Here's where we are.

Mike and I ate a very delicious lunch yesterday!!!  We loved these beef and mushroom taco salads!!!  Mike can't resist homemade chips and I opted for some sweet potato fritters on the side.  So yummy!!!

One day is just not like the next for Dad.  It's ups and then downs.  We just take one day at a time.  Mom and I came out to the hospital this morning after eating some breakfast and feeling refreshed.  Pray that today will be a start to much healing for Dad!!!

On a different note ... the weather is hot!  98 degrees when we arrived.  It cooled down a lot during the night and in the 70's today.  That's a lot cooler for May here.

Dad is feeling a bit better this morning.  Still sleeping a lot but resting well.

Thank you so much for caring and praying!!! 

Going to Visit and Encourage ...

Our bags are packed.  Mike and I are going to visit his very sick father and dear mother.  I can't wait to see them again but my heart is still cautious and nervous.  How will Dad be when we arrive?  Mom keeps saying he's so weak.  So sick.  Trying to fight this furious fight of cancer.

Dad did have his stomach surgery yesterday and for that we are very grateful for!  He needs this to survive!  We are hoping with all hopes that this will allow him to drink and eat foods without throwing up!!!  He's body is so weak from not eating for weeks and weeks but again we are grateful for IV supplements and nutrition! 

Mom Lapp is so tired too!  She cares for Dad as much as she can while he lays in the hospital.  She makes a lot of decisions each day.  There is so much to process with all these big decisions and all she wants is the best for Dad!!!  Please keep praying for Mom as she fights with Dad to get well!!!

There are so many doctors and nurses that have helped and blessed Mom and Dad and the family through all of this cancer journey.  We've been blessed to have great hands and skilled care!

Mike and I would appreciate if you would cover us in your prayers over the next week.  We hope to go send some sunshine and love and joy to Dad and Mom!  Thank you so much to all those who are caring and loving on our family here at home!!!

We've been so blessed by so many over the past months!  People have helped us with Dad's yard work.  Brought us meals.  Prayed for healing and strength.  Called or texted with encouragement.  Invited us out for lunch or over for supper.  Sent cards.  Etc., etc..  THANK YOU so much!!!

This all got dropped off just the other night by a friend that has seen a lot of sorrow and grief in her life.  Including seeing loved ones fight cancer!!!  Thank you so much Hannah for the delicious meal and thoughtfulness!!!

Yesterday was National Day of Prayer and it sure was extra prayers in this house!!!  Prayers for our country and leaders and for Dad in surgery!!!

At night, I lay on the couch or in bed strolling through Pinterest!!!  I have found so many neat quotes and verses of encouragement!!!

 

Thank you for praying for the Lapp Family!!!

Toys ...

Well, look what can back!!!  Mike had the moped at the engine shop to get serviced and spruced up.  Last summer, this was a 'must ride' for Austin!!!  He loved it!  The moment Mike pulled into the garage last night and the moped was on the back, Austin was super excited.  I mean, so much, that Mike could barely get a chance to unload it before taking off with Austin having a ride!!!  Everyone got a chance to take a quick ride before supper.  :)))  Well, everyone that wanted a ride.  :)

 

Every single day, when Ginger barks around 5:30 PM, Austin says, "Dadda!!!"  He runs out to the garage and hopes that Mike pulls in.  He gets so excited to see his daddy.  He calls him, "Dad."  It's way too cute!  :)  Mike just smiles and loves the attention and demands even though life is heavy these days.  Mike has a lot going on with his Dad's health not being well, but he's loved so much here at home and the kids really do want every minute with their dad that they can get!

Matthew was excited for the moped back too!  He said that this is going to be his way around this summer.  Not real sure where he thinks he's going but OK. :)))

And of course, "Sweets" gets a ride too!!! 

Austin got a new toy on Saturday.  We bought this tractor at the GEET Sale and he's loving it!!!

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Update on Dad Lapp ...

With Dad being so very sick over last week, he is doing a little better.  Still weak.  Still just laying in the hospital being cared for and trying to fight through all this cancer!!!

Dad Lapp needs surgery done on his stomach so that the doctors can make an extension around his cancer tumor so he will then be able to eat and digest food!  He's been in the hospital for almost two weeks now waiting for this surgery.  Dad's white blood cell count was too low.  Then he got a blood infection.  Then his counts went up again.  The infection is now cleared.  He was all ready for surgery yesterday.  Those that are there with Mom and Dad prayed over Dad and said what they wanted to say before surgery and the suddenly the surgeon came in and said there is an emergency!  Someone else needed help, now!!! 

This is discouraging.  I mean, Dad's been in the hospital for days and days and is finally now able to have surgery and now this!?!!??  What is God teaching us?  Why do we need to wait another day when Dad's been through so much already?  We don't know.  We can ask God.  We cry out with so many questions but through it all ... God promises to never leave us nor forsake us.

So, now Dad is rescheduled for surgery on Thursday.  Please pray that his counts remain good and that Dad will be able to have this surgery to help him survive!!!

Mike and I have plans on going to visit Dad and Mom in Arizona this weekend.  We would love if our friends and family would cover us in prayer as we travel and spend time with Dad and Mom.  I know it's going to be hard.  It's going to be stretching and my faith will be tested.  Faith is an action so unless we live out all God's promises of "Be strong and courageous," how will my faith be made stronger.  I know I will be deeper rooted in Jesus!