BUSY BUSY BUSY!

I know this is a busy time of year for everyone! Since my last post we have had several events.  Josh and David graduated from high school.  Five down, five to go! Woo hoo!  We are half way there! Stephanie returned home from BTI.  SOOOO happy she is home!!  I have enjoyed hearing all of the stories about things that happened there. Jonathan turned 2 on June 13th. It was an extra special birthday because of what happened the week before. He has not been a big talker, but has really started to pick up more words the past week or so.  Yesterday Doug came into the kitchen holding up a new quarter asking me if I had seen the new design.  Jonathan pointed at the quarter, then pointed at his mouth and gagged like he was choking.  I wondered if he remembered what had happened.  Yep, he remembers!

We are looking forward to the rest of the summer.  Stephanie and Abbie are traveling with the Cox family to South Carolina next weekend for convention.  Then they will go back to Cleveland for a couple days and then  go to Tennessee family camp.  Most of the kids and I will be headed to Kentucky camp from July 24-28.  I  am going to be teaching the senior class. Feel free to pray for me as I get the lessons prepared.  The theme is Souled out; Not for Sale.  There seems to be a good number planning to come!!  Young people from Tennessee, Arkansas, North Carolina and possibly Virginia are going to be there! After  camp we will come home and prepare for the Assembly.  Stephanie was asked by the region if she wanted to go to IYC!  Of course, the answer was YES!!!!!  She is very excited!

I am thankful for all the blessings the Lord has given us. Stephanie, Abbie, and I were talking in the car the other day about holiness and how there really is no other way.  There is no other choice. Everyday I am so thankful that God saw fit to allow me to be a part of The Church of God! Great things ahead!!

                     The birthday boy!!

Thank you Lord for our sweet Jonathan!!

I am FINALLY getting a few minutes to thank everyone for their prayers for our sweet Jonboy! Most of all I want to thank my Lord for what He did on June 4 for our family!!! On Tuesday Doug had gotten home from work around 2:25 pm and decided to try and get some work done on the house outside.  He went upstairs to change into  work clothes, so I followed to talk about the days events. Jonathan wanted to go up with me.  After changing his clothes, Doug asked Jonathan if he needed his diaper changed.  Jonathan had just climbed up on his bed and Doug went to him. He started to lay him down and realized he was choking very badly and not breathing.  There were NO sounds and a look of horror on Jonathan's face. I felt and looked in his mouth but could not feel or see anything.  At this point his face and lips were changing colors and he started clenching his jaws shut. Doug grabbed him and did the infant Heimlich with three hard hits to the back.  On the third hit, Jon made a slight noise.  I took him and tried to talk calmly to get him to clam down and breathe.  He started getting air but not well.  He kept choking and gagging on whatever it was he swallowed.  We had not seen anything in his hands except for one of the iphones. We were confident he did not swallow that! Very quickly we decided we needed help in getting whatever it was, out! We jumped in the suburban and headed into town.  I called 911 and asked them to let the hospital know we were headed in. Doug also wanted any officers that may be on our route that we would be speeding and would NOT be stopping! Dispatch was going to send an ambulance our way, but at the speed Doug was driving, we would be there before anyone could reach us.  (We made 14 miles in 8 minutes)   His police and military driving skills paid off- BIG! The ER doctor and nurse were standing outside waiting for us.  They grabbed Jon and ran in with him.  Very quickly after x-rays, the doctor came in and emotionally told us it looks like a quarter and is laying the diameter of his trachea. The coin was slightly tipped to allow some oxygen through. He explained it is very dangerous and they could not remove it because they did not have the correct equipment because of his size.  He said they needed to air lift him to Nashville.  Of course, throughout this whole time, word was spreading throughout my family and the church!  MANY prayers were being prayed! A few minutes later I asked a nurse about one of the doctors I knew. The nurse smiled and said he had just hung up the phone with that doctor and he was on his way to the hospital to do the procedure! The following hour felt like years! Jonathan was VERY lethargic and non-responsive.  The whole trip in from home he was the that way also.  Every few minutes he would start gagging.  The fear was that he would throw up the coin and it would get caught in his throat again and choke him to death.  While waiting for the Dr. to get there, another doctor (the top anesthesiologist) came in the room and said he needed to talk to us.  He said we needed to understand how serious this was (like we didn't already know) and that it may not end well.  He said the coin was floating right above his breathing tube and food tube.  He said if it drops in his food tube, they can go in a get it.  If it drops in his breathing tube, we are in trouble and it is a very serious problem.  He told us several times this was a scary, dangerous situation and it may not end well.  Basically,  he was warning us (very gently and compassionately) that our baby may die.  He said the coin could drop before they even get in to do the procedure or it could even drop during the procedure.  The whole time Jonathan was continuing with the gagging and extreme lethargy. Every time he started to gag, Doug and I prayed for God's protection.  When the doctor got there, they let Doug carry him back to the procedure room and also let me go back.  They allowed us time to kiss on him and tell him how much we loved him.  The anesthesiologist was hoping he could put the gas mask on him while Doug was still holding him so he would not cry or have to be laid back any sooner than was absolutely necessary, but he started to cry and squirm so they laid him down and got us out of the room pretty quickly. With him crying and taking deep breaths to cry, there was a greater danger of him inhaling the coin back into the breathing tube. The concern was the same regarding laying him down.   In less than 10 minutes the doctor and anesthesiologist emerged from the room.  We could not get down the hall fast enough (Doug took off in a sprint)!  Dr.Cudradro handed me the coin and said "foreign money"!  It was a Mexican penny! He said, "Next time make sure it's American money, it is much smaller."  The Mexican penny is the size of a quarter. Later we found out it belonged to Joey.  He found it when we were in Texas and he went on a walk with Uncle Sam.  He said Sammie had dumped his coin jar the night before and he had not picked them up yet!  UGH!!!!  God is so wonderful!!!  The team said it could not have went any smoother extracting the coin!  They did not even have to give him an I.V.  They explained that when Doug found him choking it was a total air occlusion and the coin was lodged in his breathing tube.  When Doug did the Heimlich, it pushed the coin up into the sphincter.  They were expecting the coin to drop and had a trachea kit ready to put in him in hopes of keeping oxygen to his brain when it dropped.  BUT..... many prayers reached the throne of God and He once again had mercy on my family!  I cannot begin to thank the Lord for all He has done for us and continues to do.  We can look back at the situation now and see God's mighty hand there every second.  It was Doug and I that was with him when he choked, not any of the kids.  Doug instinctively knew what to do to get some oxygen flowing.  God made Jonathan lethargic in the car and the WHOLE wait for the doctor because that kept the coin still and the sphincter closed. 

There were so many thoughts and emotions we went through. I wanted to study his little face and memorize every feature.  Every time he started gagging and would open his eyes at all, I wanted to memorize the exact shade of blue.  I thought of how it would be so hard to go home without him, but I knew I could not let it destroy me. I did not have peace that Jonathan was going to live, but I did have peace that God was in control and that my Savior never fails!  I wondered what I had at the house that would have his scent. While all of these thoughts rolled through my head, I knew that God was good!  I kept whispering "God is good" in Jonathan's ear.  If he was going to pass away from this earth, I wanted his mind to be on how good God is.  Doug continued to whisper prayers in his ear also.  For the first time in my life, I did not feel panicked and out of control when things got scary.  Don't get me wrong, it was SOOOOOO scary and I desperately wanted my baby to live, but I did not have that panicked feeling that I have experienced so many times when something bad happens. I wanted to know The Church of God was praying!  I finally realized I am not in control, GOD is!  It  doesn't matter what MY will is, it only matters what GOD's will is.  Now, yes, this is easy to say now that I have my sweet baby at home; healthy and safe. I hope and pray that I would have had the same spirit if things would have went different. 

I know most of the people that read my blog were the prayer warriors praying when this all was unfolding.  THANK YOU! 

Prayer Request

I appreciate as many prayers as I can get!  I am suffering with back pain and sciatic pain again.  I have felt so good since the assembly 2 years ago, but the past couple days it has returned and I am in so much pain.  I know the Lord can heal me again!  I know He is able and I am trusting He will!!!! Thank you!

Pictures!

Well... I am going to try blogging again!  I miss reading everyone's blogs!  Facebook seems to have taken over (unfortunately). It has been so long that I do not know where to start. Our youngest, Jonathan was added to the family (he will be 2 on June 13).  DJ got married to Caitlin on November 11, 2011.  They live about 13 miles from us and DJ works with Doug in Security at USEC.  Andy lives in Texas and has a beautiful little boy named Chase Dwayne Letcher. He is a good dad and loves that little guy! Tim got married on May 14, 2011 to MaKayla.  They gave us our first grandchild on April 8, 2012.  She is wonderful, her name is Kasandra Rose Letcher.  They live about 7 miles from us.  We absolutely LOVE both of our daughter in laws! Josh finished high school this year and is working at Arby's. He is working on restoring his 1988 Thunderbird and is trying to get a trade job. David also finished high school this year and works for a door manufacturing company call MIDCO. He loves to go jeeping! Stephanie is going to be a Junior this coming school year. She is at BTI right now and loves the Lord and The Church of God with all her heart.  Abigail is starting 9th grade in the fall.  She is full of life and energy!  She also loves the Lord so very much! Joey is all boy and has decided he loves to work, especially mow lawns.  He is a great kid and says he wants to have David's reputation of being a hard worker! (Good goal!) Sammie is a joy to have in the family.  He has a kind heart and loves God! He adores his niece and nephew and could not be happier about being an uncle.  Jonathan is our sweet little caboose!  We are so thankful the Lord saw fit to add him to the family.  All of the children that are still in school are being home schooled.  It makes me cringe to think that I ever allowed them to be in public school!  We have been homeschooling the middle school and high schoolers for several years now, but this year the Lord really opened our eyes to some things and have pulled ALL of them out of public school.

I have enjoyed watching BTI devotions and Bro Smith's Creation class in the mornings through live streaming!   Technology has it's advantages and disadvantages.  This is one of the advantages!!!  It has been a blessing to see little clips and pictures of our daughter praying and worshiping the Lord. Doug and I are hoping we can attend BTI next year.  It would be a first for both of us!

A long week!

Sammie looking at grandpa.


Guns!! Guns!!

Stephanie giving DJ a hug for helping her shoot the gun. Bryon and BJ Goodman in the background,



I love these pictures.






By the way, Stephanie took all of these pictures. I think she did great!



Well, we have had a very long week. On Monday we went to mom and dad's house for a cook out. It was A LOT of fun! The guys all enjoyed target practice with the many guns Frank and dad have accumulated. Tuesday and Wednesday were not good days. Many of you already know that I miscarried yesterday. We were very sad, but feel peace at the same time. Doug said it well. He said "we cannot question God when we can look at all of the wonderful things we see Him doing in our family and the work He is doing in our boys. He knows best, even when we do not understand." If a quiver is 6 (that's what I've heard, but I'm not sure), then we have half a quiver with Jesus. We are anxious to see what the future holds for us. We appreciate your prayers! I hope you enjoy the pics!

Blessed Again!!

Many of you have already heard the news! We are expecting baby #10 in April! Doug and I are both very excited. The whole family is excited! We feel very honored that the Lord is blessing our home once again! Doug and I made the decision for me to quit school and work about a month ago. In the process of making that decision, Doug also felt the Lord changed his heart regarding how many children we should have. So... we may get that warrior's quiver yet!
It has been a very busy, crazy couple years. We both have re-evaluated things and feel the best thing we can do for our family is for me to stay home-full time! It has been a wonderful decision. I have felt like it has been a long vacation this month! We both regret it took so long. I have always felt Proverbs 31 and Titus 2 were clear to me where I needed to be and what was important, but finances are a real thing in this life. Doug has spent a lot of time in prayer and feels this is what we need to do. It is what our children need and what we feel is pleasing to the Lord for our family. It is a HUGE step in faith. We both are at peace that God will provide. God pays for what he orders. :) About a year ago, I asked Sis. Smith for some advice. She said "Teresa, live the life before your kids." I have thought about that sentence many times over the past year. I have thought "well, I don't have any sin in my life, I attend church faithfully,I am a faithful member of The Church of God, I live the life as I should," but...all year in the back of my mind, I wondered, is this busy life, with very little quantity, much less quality time with the kids what I want to show them and teach them. BUT, once again, finances were a concern. I admire Doug for making the decision he has. I feel like I am getting the good end of the deal! It has been neat to see how God is working in our family already this month! Wonderful changes! Doug and I are more in love than we have ever been, peace is coming over our children, one by one. DJ and Tim went to Tennessee's family camp this weekend. Bro Smith took DJ into the church tonight!!! How exciting is that! We are thrilled! Tim quit football 2 weeks ago because he felt like God was speaking to him about the influences he was around when at football practice! If you know Tim, you know he LOVES football! It was a big deal that he quit. He was telling me a couple nights ago that since he quit, he has had the opportunity to talk and witness to several kids at school. Please keep our family in your prayers. Our big gang is a work in progress for the Lord and we want to please Him more than anything! We appreciate your prayers!

We went to Missouri last month for DJ's graduation from basic training and AIT. It was very neat. Several of my siblings came to it. Of course, my parents did to! We are all very proud of him. It has been wonderful to have Josh home also. Angie and Josh flew in a couple days before we went to Missouri. He grew up and matured so much while he was there.

The Goodmans have moved here!!! We are VERY excited about that. It has been great to have them here! They are going to be an asset to the local church. We love them very much.

Updates

Before (Becky Goodman and kids visiting!)

Living Room and Kitchen gutted!
After

It's been awhile, I know. Let's see. In January we went to WI for my grandma's funeral and while we were gone, a valve busted in our upstairs bathroom and flooded our house. A friend was taking care of our animals and thankfully came to the house and found the disaster. He was able to turn the water off and called some other friends (local men) and they all spent several hours vacuming water out of the house. Thank the Lord for friends! We drove home the next morning to evaluate the damages. It was not good. The insurance sent a drying company out immediately. As soon as they got here, they started tearing out ceilings, floors, walls. It was sad. The insurance had a 40' RV delivered so we had a place for the boys to sleep and a place to cook. It is also where we hung out during non-sleeping hours. I think the insurance has paid out approximately $95,000.00. It has been a very stressful 4 months, but we basically have a brand new house with brand new furniture now.We were able to re-arrange the floor plan a bit throughout the house also.We built a wall that seperates the kitchen and living room, but the dining room and living room are open. I love it! When they re built the basement, we also changed some things and now have a HUGE family room! So in all, we now have 8 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, living room on main level, family and game room in basement, a den for my sewing machine, computer, and books, and a kitchen I never dreamed of being blessed with. We had a second kitchen in the basement before the flood, so the insurance company paid us to replace all the cabinets on both levels. We didn't want the second kitchen, so we were able to buy all new appliances with the extra cabinet money. It came out almost dollar for dollar. I am very thankful!!
Well, on a different subject, Josh has been with Angie and Scott since March. He has been wanting to spend time with them for a few years and this was a perfect time for him to go. He is doing very good. We miss him alot! DJ also left in March for basic training. We went to Missouri last weekend to visit him. He is also doing very well. I am proud of the stand he has taken there spiritually. He has chosen to grow spiritually and draw closer to the Lord through this. I am very excited about who he has become. Everyone else is doing great. Busy!! Here are a couple pictures. I will put a few more on later.