Driving Again

Gary is taking a drive in David's new car, a Mazda 3, just before dark.


Hi Family and Friends,

Another prayer answered.

The day has arrived...last week Monday Gary was given the ok to drive again!

It has been just over 6 months since Gary's surgery and he has not driven since.

Gary said it felt weird to drive on his own again, like he was doing something he wasn't supposed to do.

It felt really strange for me too as driving Gary to work and picking him up had become a daily routine.

I will miss spending all this extra time with him but I'm very happy that Gary can drive again.

I think Jessica will benefit from it too as our homeschooling will once again start on time.

Gary's next MRI will be on Sat. Feb.12 and he has tolerated his fourth round of chemo very well.

We are very thankful to God and ask that you continue to pray for us.

Thanks Joanne and Gary

"Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You." Psalm 67:3,5

Surprise 50th by Gary and Kids

On Friday January 14th, Gary and the kids surprised me with a house full of unexpected company.
My birthday was on Dec. 21st so by this time I no longer expected a party, let alone thought about my 50th birthday. How they pulled it off without leaving a hint was amazing. I was 100% surprised. After going out for dinner with Gary and Greg and Laurie Kenyon we came home to visit some more. I didn't even notice the lane way full of cars. (Our lane way is always full of cars!)


Thanks Gary, kids, family and friends for giving me the surprise of my life. Thanks too for all the food and gifts. I felt very special. Now I can't forget I turned 50!

A New Year Has Begun

Hope you all had a blessed Christmas with your families and friends. We had a very good Christmas break. The whole family was home over Christmas. Opa and Oma, Dad and Mom Pennings, celebrated Christmas with us.
The most amazing thing happened... Opa (my dad who hates animals in the house) was being so entertained by Felicia, our Father's Day cat, that he asked if he could buy her!! This cat loves to play fetch and she will bring back the paper ball in her mouth and place it back at your feet to have it thrown again. Dad said he liked her because she was already trained. Watch out Mom, you might still get an animal in the house even after being married for over 55 years.

Opa and Christine
We are very grateful for our parents (and grandparents) who have had and still have a very positive influence in our lives.

Jessica and Ryan impatiently waiting to open their gifts on Christmas Eve.

Irish Mountain Bed & Breakfast
Dec.20-23 rd Gary and I went to a Bed and Breakfast at Irish Mountain in Meaford, Ont. to celebrate our birthdays away from it all.
We recommend this place to anyone who likes a secluded get-a-way with a fireplace and a private outdoor hot tub.(www.irishmountain.net)
Our get-a-way to Collingwood area was both peaceful and relaxing.

A self portrait on our cold, snowy walk.

We had a beautiful view of Georgian Bay as we sat in front of the fireplace looking out over piles of snow just outside the bay window. The skies were grey and we did not see the sun the whole time we were there but the roads were all clear of snow so the 3 hour drive up and back were great.

Gary finished his 3rd round of chemotherapy on Sunday night. His immune system remains strong. The chemo has not effected his appetite either (as the doctor predicted) He has tolerated this treatment very well and only suffered flu like symptoms.

You may be wondering about the results of the MRI Gary had on Dec. 14th. The pictures showed no change in size of the tumor and there was a little more swelling again this time. The doctor said it was hard to know and see what the tumor or tissue was really doing at this point so he would continue the treatment as planned.
Please pray that in the next 7 weeks the chemo will work over time and the MRI will show definite signs of improvement.

God is still hearing our prayers and has allowed Gary to continue doing what he has always done with the exception of needing a little more rest. The doctor was pleased that he is sleeping and eating well and still able to go about his daily tasks without any major problems.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes, love and concern. We continue to covet your prayers,

"Therefore in all things He (Christ) had to be made like His brethren (born as a baby), that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.(died for us)
For in that He himself has suffered, being tested, He is able to aid those who are tested." Hebrews 2:17-18

We are putting our hope and trust in this Christ who is merciful and faithful and understands what we are experiencing.

Love Joanne and Gary

JESUS

He came not to a throne, but to a manger.

He lived not as a king, but as a servant.

He chose not a kingdom, but a cross.

He gave not just a little, but everything.

Holley Gerth

Wishing You All a Merry Christmas

I'm sure you all have heard about the piles of snow we had last week in South Western Ontario.
Many places had much more snow then we had.

I told the kids our birthday cake was out on our deck. Gary and I are both Christmas week babies.

Merry Christmas from our home to yours...


It's been almost six weeks since we updated our blog. There's a saying, "no news is good news"." 

Well, things have been going quite well. Other then routine appointments every 2 weeks and a snow day, Gary has been going to work almost everyday. He had his second week of chemo treatments the week of Nov. 29th-Dec.3rd. It has been one of the hardest weeks for him. It has left him more tired and with less energy then before. All of this is somewhat to be expected as this last treatment was his first full dose of the chemo medication. At this point Gary is just very thankful that he is able to continue going to work.is just so thankful that he is able to continue working.
On Dec. 14th Gary went for another MRI. The weather had been stormy on and off for the last week and meetings were canceled the night before. To make sure we got to the 5:30 a.m. appointment we got up at 3 a.m. (We were both surprisingly wide awake before 3) Gary blew out the lane way before we left. Thankfully the main roads were quite clear however very slippery. We made it there in good time.
We will not hear the results of the MRI until Dec. 29th when Gary will begin his third week of chemo. We hope and pray that the radiation and chemo have been effective and the results of the scan will be positive.

Gary and I are looking forward to getting away for a few days next week to celebrate our birthdays together.

We want to wish you all a Merry Christmas , thanking God for sending his Son, Jesus Christ into the world to be our Saviour.

Joanne

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

"Great is Thy faithfulness," O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

• "Great is Thy faithfulness!" "Great is Thy faithfulness!"
    Morning by morning new mercies I see;
  All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
      "Great is Thy faithfulness," Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

© 1923. Ren. 1951 Hope Publishing Co., Carol Stream, IL 60188
www.hopepublishing.com

Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/19#ixzz26OYs8B00

Your Mercies are New Every Morning

Thanksgiving Day has come and gone, but we need to express our thankfulness every single day and not only to God but to those around us, not only for big things but the little things too!

For some months Gary and the boys were planning to re-shingle the back part of our house. So mid-October Brad Meinen and his crew graciously volunteered to help them out. Late Friday afternoon they came to set up and continued early the next morning. It was done at 12:30 p.m.


Thanks Brad Meinen, Dan Bergsma, John Timmermans and Norm Rolleman for helping Gary and the boys out and for coming out on your day off!





I was looking at some old emails the other day and one had a text reference at the bottom, Lam. 3:22. I forgot what it said until I came across it one morning while reading.
It says, "Your mercies are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness." Then not long after that I heard Frenando Ortega sing, "Great is Thy Faithfulness" and I knew I had to share this song on our blog. (Gary and I are now calling it 'our' blog)

I have attached the song on another post.

Jess and I went for a walk to the back of our farm one frosty morning this week. The land looked so bare with all the crops harvested. It felt all too much like a winter morning.

God is faithful. He keeps everything in order like the sun, moon and stars. We experience summer and winter and spring time and harvest every year again. God never changes and is compassionate.

We are thankful for a great harvest of our crops. Also, Gary has had a good week while taking his first out of six monthly chemo treatments.




I hope this song, Great is Thy Faithfulness, is a blessing to you as it is to me. These words of the text/song come to mind often and I can only thank God for blessing us so much.

I pray that we will praise Him everyday no matter what his plans are for our lives.
Joanne

The End of Radiation

Christine and her Dad

The six weeks of radiation are over!!
We are all happy about that! Amazing how your family life adjusts to the routine of therapy and you go along life's path just as before.

Now Gary is back to working full days. The only inconvenience is that he is still not allowed to drive, but he is not lacking willing drivers.

Gary, David and Dixie taking a stroll to the back of the farm

He is feeling well. Eating and sleeping well. Now he is on a no-chemo 4 week vacation. The next doctor's appointment isn't until November 1st. The next MRI is booked for 3 weeks from now. This may not give us a true picture as it takes some time for the radiation and chemo to do their jobs and there may be some swelling present from the radiation.


The only side effect that shows is some hair loss which makes it look like his hair line has receded. His forehead looks sun burnt and a little dry but this has not been a major problem.


We are so thankful for how the treatments have gone. The Lord has been good to us and has wonderfully given Gary continued strength and good health to do what he always did.

We know that much prayer is still needed for continued healing, peace and for patience as we await the results of the radiation and chemotherapy.

Thanks again for all the support, love and care we have been given over these many weeks, but especially for your prayers.

A special thanks to all the drivers who so kindly took at least 3 hours of their time each day to take Gary to the hospital over the last 6 weeks.

The road ahead is unknown and uncertain but that is the same for any and all of us. We must continue to trust in God alone and leave our future in His loving and caring hands.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Joanne for all of us

Felicia (the Father's Day gift) is growing up fast, taking over the place and entertaining us all.