My "Lil Scrappy" softball player!

This spring we got to watch Kyndal Grace play on her first softball team. She has only played tball in the past. We were all very proud of her ball skills. This was machine pitch and we were proud that she had the ability to get the ball fast and played very hard! She was also the proud owner of jersey #11! That was my number in softball in highschool! What we would get so tickled about is that Kyndal was one of the oldest but shortest ones on the team! Her Coach for the Salem Angels nicknamed her "Lil Scrappy". She was pretty agressive getting the ball and tried very hard! Enjoy the pics!

 Kyndal getting ready to run to third base!

Kyndal scooping the ball up at the mound and making a play to second base!

Kyndal in the ready postion! Love her smile!

Learning great skills at the mound!

Kyndal can still be a prissy ball player!

Kyndal Grace...you make us smile and laugh! You love life and you laugh at everything! You try very hard to do well! I love how you can go from being a prissy little ballerina and cheerleader to a wallowing in the dirt ball player! You are an All American girl! Thank you for bringing such joy in my life! You are such a blessing!



Family and change

Since daddy died we have already had to experience some of our "first" things without him. We had to have his "first" birthday and Fourth of July celebrations without him. In honor of his birthday Kaitlyn made a cake. She cried while making it. There was one special thing that Kaitlyn and her grangran always did... They loved to bake together. After we sung Happy Birthday we tried to be happy and eat, but we became very teary. We made it through, but it was different. In fact, pretty much there is not a day that something reminds me of my daddy. Even up here in Salem,VA there are so many places that we went that remind me of a funny time with him.

Not long after we had daddy's funeral mom was informed that she was going to be transferred...IMMEDIATELY! It actually was a good thing. Mom and dad worked together and I know that it was going to be hard for her to continue to be at her facility without him. They were living in the Outer Banks, and I know she was going to be lonely. She asked to transfer to a building that became open while daddy was in the hospital. They gave her a building in Thomasville, NC.(Mom is a director for an assisted living center.) So now instead of 7 hours away she is only 2 hours! What a blessing and we know it was a total God thing that this happened. It also puts her less than 10 minutes away from her sister Amy and her mom. And maybe 29 minutes away from her sister Beth! We are all so excited! Now if only we can get Aunt Susan closer!
There have been so many changes here recently. Sometimes change can be so hard. But one thing has remained the same: God has always been there with us.
This past week we also had to say goodbye to my grandfather "Buddy." He was my dad's father. He was also diagnosed with the same cancer as my father, but it was in his stomach. My dad's was in his small intestine. He died on July 5th and was only 4 days away from his birthday. Our family has had to endure so much here lately. Please keep my grandmother in your prayers. I am thankful that "Buddy " is not suffering anymore and he is reunited with his son in heaven. I was able to tell him how much I loved him and to tell daddy we said hello and we love him and miss him!

This is a picture of my grandparents.

AKA: Nana and Grangran

A QUICK catchup of my life!

Sorry I haven't blogged in quite sometime! I have missed it, but so many things happened since last November that I had no extra time to post. Instead of back tracking I am going to quickly update you on the Jeffreys life.
The last real time that I posted anything we were spending our summer at the beach with my parents. As some of you know my dad was diagnosed with a small intestinal cancer. He was undergoing 6 months of chemotherapy at he finished the treatments in December of 2010. Little did we know that he was going to only have a few more months with us. When daddy went for a scan in February of 2011 it showed that the cancerous lesions had returned. He was sent to a surgeon to remove the lesions. On April 19th he had surgery..and our lives will never be the same after that day. The surgery was very succesful..or so we seemed to think. The night after his surgery daddy's kidneys stopped working for some reason. And the doctor he was under hesitated to do anything about it and caused major damage to the kidney. Daddy also went into respiratory failure and he ended up in the ICU for 7 weeks. Making a VERY, VERY long story short, daddies liver also stopped working and he became very jaundiced because the liver would not break down his bilirubin. He also became very swollen due to fluid overload. He was put on a vent and ended up having three surgeries in those 7 weeks. He had so many issues. But he was overcoming them slowly..In fact, he had started to do physical therapy and talking well again after being on a vent and in the bed for so long. And his liver had started working again. Little did we know that he was only going to have a few "great" days with us before things turned for the worst.
On Friday, June 3rd my mom called me to tell me some of the most devasting news you would ever want to hear. Daddy had physical therapy that day, and was doing well until that afternoon. Daddy ended up "crashing" and was having a horrible time with breathing and had to be on the vent again. All day his bicarb levels were dropping and his lab work showed that. (He had labs drawn every four hours.) None of the doctors caught this until it was too late. The doctors ended up doing an ultrasound on his liver and showed that the liver had completly gone into failure. We were told to pack our things and come to the hospital.
On June 4th my daddy went home to be with the Lord. This was probably one of the hardest things I have had to go through. I think what made it worse was my children adore thier gradfather. Daddy was only 53 years old. Mom, my brother and I all made the decision to take daddy off of the three blood pressure medicines that were allowing him to maintain life. He lived until 6:01 p.m. that night. He lived for about a total of an hour after we stopped his support. He did go so peacefully. He was not in any pain and breathed very well. About two minutes before we passed, mom said she wished he would give her one more kiss. He reached his head up and kissed her and then he went to meet our God. Wow! It was so hard because he was there with us but just couldn't fight anymore.
I do know that daddy is in heavven and is fully healed. I am going to be totally honest and say that this has been one of the biggest leaps of faith I have had to take. I have been angry,sad, in denial, angry, depressed, angry...you get the picture! I guess because I am selfish and want him here. Daddy always made us laugh and my children adored him. He and mom have been married 35 years and they did everything together. It was so hard to let him go.
I will say though, that right after this cancer was diagnosed I remember one of my prayers to God was to please not let us see my daddy die from this cancer. I was imagining that if the cancer took over his intestine of how sick he would have been and I know I would not have wanted to see him suffer and die a painful death. As I said daddy was not in pain and was not suffering. He died from liver failure. God did answer my prayer..not in the way that I wanted but it was, for whatever His reason, time for daddy to go home to heaven.
I am thankful that our little child in heaven, Bailey is now with his grangran. My kids here on earth still cry for him and ask why. I tell them what I know about heaven, and how to cherish the memories we have of him, and it's ok to cry! I have no answers...only HOPE and FAITH...

Rest in Peace daddy!
July 3, 1957- June 4, 2011

Try, try AGAIN!!!

I am so completly horrible to not be more consistent with blogging! I mean, really..the last time I posted was in November 2010...and that was to post just a song! For the past year, it has been a whirlwind..
So much has happened since I posted on here about prayer requests for my family. I am sorry to the few who actually read this blog that I didn't post enough about my parents and the journey they had with cancer that I asked you to pray about. So my next post will give you a fast forward version of "what's been happening!"
I am slowly getting back to my routine. I kinda let it go since last fall. I was in some kind of funk! I normally am a early morning gal and go workout and would journal after that. But, life got busy, busy, busy...
So here is to "getting back....AGAin!!!!!!

Completely...

Sweet blog, I have missed you!

I have missed blogging!!! I hope to finally get back on track and start blogging again. The past couple of months have been so busy. Hopefully over the Thanksgiving holiday I can organize and plan out to start blogging some more. I have some great news to share coming up...stay tuned!

Praise

I HAVE A PRAISE!!!!!!!!!!

I honestly believe that right before our eyes that a miracle from our Father occured to us last week. It is my pleasure to tell you all that my mother....

DOES NOT HAVE MS!!!!!!!!!!

It is such a blessing to hear this. Last week when my mother went back to her neurologist to find out her form of treatment and what the results of her spinal tap was. Less than two months from that appointment her regular doctor confirmed that she had it. But after her spinal tap the specialist said that all of her symptons were due to when she had diabetes. (She no longer has diabetes due to her losing weight from gastric bypass.) There were no lesions on her brain, but what they saw was cholesterol. The numbness in her feet is due to a condition called neuropathy that is caused from diabetes. She will have to take a medicine that will make the numbness subside.

Without a doubt, I know prayer works.....

I was sent a devotional the other day from a friend. She sent us an email asking for prayer for her son and some issues going on with him physically. We all worry about our kids, families, etc...But, one of her friends who responded to her email touched my heart so strongly. I don't know her, but have heard her story. She is about my age and her husband died in front of her due to a brain aneryusm. They have three very small children. But she stated this in her response to my friend's worries......
 Jesus wrote it to the readers.


Entrust your loved ones to Me release them into My protective care. They are much safer with Me than in your clinging hands. When you release your loved ones to Me you are free to cling to My hand. As you entrust others into My care I am free to shower blessings on them. My Presence will go with them wherever they go and I will give them rest. This same Presence stays with you Ss you relax and place your trust in Me. Watch to see what I will do.


Genesis 22:9-12 ephesians 3:20 and exodus 33:14

Wow, is all I can say. It is so true. I have a hard time "releasing" my kids, finances, ministry, marriage, health, my dad's cancer, my mom's worries, my brother, my sister in law, friends, job, in my Father's hands. They are so much safer in His hands than mine...

I just wanted to say this. Everyday, no matter where we are people are suffering with something. Life is hard. Here lately, it seems like so many friends, family and sometimes strangers I talk to are dealing with a trial. This devotional that was sent to my friend has touched me more than anything this week. I hope this is an encouragement to you.