Weekly Rewind 11/29-12/05/09

All is pretty much routine in the Poff Household.  We're enjoying Christmas music and Advent readings, and I hear "When will Christmas be here?" at least a couple times a day.  (See, if I had just made my Upsized Advent Calendar this year, the Littles would have a great visual for the counting down.)

We have about two weeks left of our school schedule before we take a two week break.  One of the highlights of this time of year is that Daddy will be home for a bit starting Christmas Eve.  While we anticipate that, each day is plenty full and goes by so quickly.  Here are just a few glimpses of this past week.

~This past Saturday we enjoyed attending the baptism of the daughter of some very close friends of ours.  This precious little girl is an Emma, too. :)  Afterwards, our two families did what some would be terrified to do...........we ate together at Macaroni Grill.  Yes, four adults and 12 children!  It was great!  The children were so well behaved, a beautiful testimony to the blessing of children and the grace of God.

We were seated in the center of an area for all eyes to see.  We did have two couples compliment us on how well behaved the children were, and one of those couples were the parents of 8 children.  It's always wonderful to be encouraged, so if you ever see a family out with children who are behaving well, let them know!

 I remind our children whenever we go out that we're being a witness for the beauty of a large family, for the privilege of homeschooling, and most importantly, for the grace of God in our lives and for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

~My skin cancer is back.  The place on my forehead was not completely removed with the biopsy, so I'm being told I'll need to have more surgery.  While at my appointment, the doctor also took a biopsy of my arm, which did come back positive.  Due to some disagreements about appropriate treatment at this time, surgery is on hold, and I'm considering getting another opinion and trying some natural remedies.  I would appreciate prayer for wisdom in knowing what to do as well as in choosing another doctor if that is necessary.

After doing a bit of research, I did come across some studies that show an increase in basal cell cancers in those who have Crohn's Disease.  My doctor hasn't made this connection, but I do find it quite interesting.  The increase is related to the suppressed immune system and medications related to treating this disease.

~We put up our ever-so-humble Christmas tree.  For a few years now, we've been alternating between artificial and real.  We'd love to have a real one each year, but doing this is a bit more budget-friendly.  This slim tree actually fits perfectly in our small living area.

~On a sadder note, even though it didn't happen last week, our dog Jessie, 11 years old, has been missing since yesterday afternoon.  We've gotten snow since then, and the older boys were out for over an hour in the dark and snow last night looking for her to no avail.  We know dogs often go away from home to die, and we're hoping that isn't the case.  We do pray God would allow us to be able to know what has happened to her.  She's a mutt, a german-shepherd/collie mix, and absolutely the best dog we've ever had.

Love,
Queen Mom