Esther Joy Update

To see more updates on her condition check out this website.

ESTHER JOY TRAVIS UPDATE from Pastor Mick

Esther Joy is doing very well and has progressed enough that she will be able to fly home to Tulsa on Thursday morning. Her white-cell count is up dramatically and she is feeling better. Please continue to pray that everything goes well and there are no complications. She and her mom, Jennifer, are flying back; but Adam has some things to finish up here in Ohio and will follow the next week. They will not know of the success of the chemotherapy until they get back to Oklahoma .

Thank you! I wanted to personally thank you all for all you have done and continue to do. Only eternity will reveal all the prayer and concern for this little five-year-old girl and her family. I have never seen an outpouring of love in the way that I have through these events. We have received cards and letters from ALL over the world as well as from every corner of the USA . People have sent e-mails and set up websites for Ester Joy and her family. You have given financially and been a help to their family. By the way, I have been pondering all of this in my mind and I believe that if you put all the gifts, cards, and letters together, they would fill the 6 1/2 foot bed of my F150 pick-up truck to the top. Thank you all for spreading the prayer requests and the concern. YOU ARE A BLESSING! Thank you for all you have done.
In Christ,
Pastor Richard C. Mick

Lighthouse Baptist Church
2222 Cleveland Rd. Sandusky,
Ohio 44870
419-621-8293

William Tell Overture

This is a humorous look into a mom's life! :)

A Day In The Life of The Stinnett Household

It all started out as a typical normal day. The rain was pattering on the rooftop. The winds blowing through the pines. One by one each person got out of bed and started their quiet time and then got ready for breakfast.
Jen turned on the stove to make pancakes as a treat for everybody. Mmm.. nothing like the fresh smell of pancakes to cheer you up on a rainy day! Amy started mixing up the batter for a chocolate chip pound cake for a friend and made one for snack later. Sarah, Daniel and John decided that it was a perfect day for a mega match-box-car "auction" in the porch and mom was taking on the phone.
Then it happened...blink, blink.. Was that the lights? Click. Out.
Of all the days for the lights to go out it had to be now!
Amy's cakes half baked in the oven. The pancakes just cooking on the stove and school classes about ready to play live off of our satellite. The battery back-up, of course, lasted 3o minutes until the class started and then.. Black-out.
As it turned out we lived life simpler for several hours.

Moral of the story: Be prepared for anything! :)

5 Simple Ways to Prepare for a Black-out:
1.Always keep charged batteries in your flash lights
2.Keep floors clean and clear at all times
3.Toys with wheels should never be left unattended
4.Keep cell phones charged
5. Never let the dishes in the sink pile up

Vision Forum Give-Away

Vision Forum is our very favorite catalog -ever! Tonight Life In a Shoe blog is running a drawing of your dream order for $150 or less of Vision Forum published items.
This is our Wish List
1. Bible Lessons for Manhood CDs $25
2. A Church in the House book $12
3. Teaching Them to Your Children book $17
4. Passionate Housewives book $16
5. Maria's Party Doll Dress $19
6. Southern Lady Doll Dress $19
7. Mediveal Princess Doll Dress $19
8. Ka'iulani Doll Dress $19
Total= $146
As an extra bonus Daniel made it to the front cover in the "Huzzah!" picture!! Our pilgrim picture is next to the "Of Plymouth Plantation" book from the 2002 Faith and Freedom Tour! :) If you don't have the catalog you can look at it here.

A little of this and that

On Esther Joy- An email from her father said she is in the 'maintenance' part of her first treatment, when the negative effects of chemotherapy shows up. Her white blood count is at 0, which means she has no immune system. It will take about two weeks for that to come back up. Her parents ask, "Please pray specifically that her white blood count will rise quickly and that she will regain her appetite and that she will not develop mucictitus." They also said they are very grateful for all the cards and prayers for their family.

John Boy had physical therapy today. He is doing extremely well in recovering from his Chairi/ brain surgery. He doesn't need therapy anymore! He moves his head much better on his own and is trying hard to keep up with his big brother and doing a good job at it! :) He's had a few bowel/ bladder accidents recently. That is related to the tethered cord, which is the next surgery. The Chairi decompression surgery helped relieve some of those issues for a little while. We received the doctor/neurosurgeons reports in the last week. Mom has been researching John's issues and complications with the decompression and what we have to look for in the future.

Our neighbour from when we lived in Galena, died in a tractor accident this past week. Mr. Turner helped us a year ago put in a new shed behind our house. Yesterday and today were the viewing and funeral services. The girls helped by playing music for it. Please remember their family in your prayers.

Fall Pictures

Fall is full of brilliant colors and brisk, cool days


Autumn at it's best- Doesn't this picture have a rustic look to it?!


Jennifer welcoming you to our home


John sweeping leaves



Peek 'a' BOO!!



Daniel much rather use the tractor to gather up leaves then his nice little rake! :)


My, see how we've grown! :)



Fresh mums



Some of the last of our harvest


An accorn not yet picked up by Mr. Squirrel


I think this picture says it all -about who is in the wheelbarrow and who would like to be! :)


Working and playing hard



Amy with her load


Country gal


Sarah in the shadows


Our littlest cutie

A Stinnettie Favorite Recipe

This recipe is a family favorite! So, if you ever need an easy recipe for Butternut Squash, here it is!

Cut the squash long ways and scoop the seeds out. In the cup put about two tablespoons of butter and then sprinkle brown sugar over it.

... add a few dashes of vanilla extract...

... now sprinkle some cinnamon and nutmeg.


Lastly bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or until squash is soft.

Mmmm.....Enjoy!

Our Friendly Neighbors

Playing in the Sand

One Year Anniversary... of blogging!! :)

Wow! It's been one year now since we have started this blog! Many things have happened in our lives. We are so blessed to be able to share them with you.

(We have to make sure we do a post on our one year anniversary, right?! :))

Asking Prayer For a Special Little Girl

A friend sent a prayer request for this sweet girl.

Esther Travis, who is four years old started walking with limp and obviously in pain. Her parents took her to a hospital and found out she has cancer. It is fast replicating form of cancer beginning in the nervous system. She is in stage 4 of the 4 stages of cancer and she also has bone marrow cancer. The doctors are giving her a 20% chance of survival. She is developing fluid in her lungs as well. The whole process is amazing considering there was not a sign of any of this before Wednesday October 3rd.


Little Esther is now in a hospital in Cleveland. She is in the cancer ward. The Travis family has 4 children and are pregnant with a 5th one- fairly early in the pregnancy. They are from Oklahoma.

She will be five years old on October 26. We want to flood this precious little girl with cards for her birthday. Please send as many as you can.

You can send them to this address:
Esther Joy Travis
c/o Lighthouse Baptist Church
2222 Cleveland Rd.
Sandusky , Ohio 44870

Greenwood Gardens In Louisiana

The place we went to after the funeral. The weather was perfect!


The peaceful grounds


Mirror image


Jen along the walk-way


Old Glory


Sisters

The flowers were just beautiful!

I thought this one was so cute

So breath-taking! :)

We love the plants along the fence

Through the woods

Water fountains adorn the walkways


This bench looks so pretty with the vines

There was a path leading around the pond. It was so pretty!

If you look closely, there is a turtle on the piece of wood

Amy and Sarah

Back From the South

The travelers have arrived back home from Uncle Orvil's funeral in Louisiana. Here are a few pictures from their trip.


Sarah and Jen waiting at BWI

Flying above the gorgeous clouds


Dad enjoying the plane ride

Crossing over the Mississippi river

Cotton fields

Sarah riding the miles

After arriving safely in Mississippi, we headed down the road for Louisiana. We only traveled a few miles when we saw a Cracker Barrel. Of course, we had to stop!

Slurp, slurp..! :)

Our rental car from Texas

We got to Ruston, Louisiana with enough time to get ready for the viewing. So many people came to pay their respects to a friend they had known all their life. After the viewing, we all went to Uncle Doug's house for a delicious meal made by friends. It was SO good!

Daddy talking to his cousins, Susie and David

The funeral was in an old historic church where many fond childhood memories were made

Inside the church

Walking from the church to the cemetery

Daddy's cousin, Ronny Cathy, lead the service. It was very touching.


Roses laid to rest forever

Dad and the girls at the grave site of our grandparents

Mrs. Cathey and one of her sons, Gary, owner of Greenwood Gardens- a beautifully landscaped resort where we ate lunch after the funeral.

Talking and eating, eating and talking!

The food pavilion

Cousins-Amy, Rebecca, and Jen

Ah, yes... the desserts! :)

Hannah and Sarah resting on a swing

Sweet fellowship

After eating, we left to see how the flowers were arranged at the grave site

Amy, Tammy (a family friend) Sarah and Jen

Talking

Relatives from Ohio, Indiana, Alabama and Maryland!


Aunt Diane and Jen

A friendly reminder in our elevator. :)

The next day we drove around the towns where Dad grew up during the summers while he was a little boy. Here is a old Magnolia tree at the old family "home place".

After walking in the brush, we all came out with tons of little stickers!

Three sisters - Diane, Susie, and Sissy

Aunt Susie and Uncle David's cute dog

Muh's house (Daddy's grandmother) which is now Aunt Sissy and Uncle Teddy's home

Have you ever seen a cat with thumbs?!

Here they are! :) How cute!

After we visited with Aunt Sissy and Uncle Ted at their house, they drove us to Uncle Orvil's old house and took us around the town. Thank you, we had SO much fun! :)

His old cow barn

Uncle Orvil's alligator pond

On the old swing


Jen touring the farm

Looking over his fence

They took us down an old country road to a cemetery there

Reading the markers

Amy riding in the car going to Vicksburg

The town of Vicksburg

Some barricades set on the ground where many lives were given


Hmmm.. I wonder what state is at the top of the list!?

In a museum

Going home

The clouds were so lovely