Whiskers

He went from this…

…to this…

…to this…

…and finally this.

And then he went on to do this…

…and this…

…and this…

…and this…

…and this…

…and this…

…and ended up with this. Totally frame-worthy.

Daddy's Girl

There are some advantages to being the only girl...a Valentine's date with Daddy! They tried to hide their excitement: "Smalling Gothic"

But she was starting to crack...

Finally she admitted that she was slightly excited about a night away from the brothers.

What a special girl and special daddy! I hope she never forgets how dearly she is loved!

from Jared

My dad went to rest with the Lord this morning. God blessed me and mom to spend last night with him and to be with him, holding his hands, as he died. He is my only hero. I pray the Lord helps me become half the father he has been.

Your prayers and concern have helped me and mom so much. "So much" isn't enough, but that's all I have for now. God bless you all for how you carry our burdens.

Your brother in Christ Jesus,

Jared

Wednesday AM

Gerald had to be taken to ICU last night and will stay again today, but hopes to be back in a regular room tomorrow. He was supposed to be transitioning home today, but it looks like that won't happen for a few more days, at least. Thanks for your continued prayers.

update on gerald from jared

The Dr told mom this morning that he saw no need for add’l PET scan. He was confident that dad has cancer in his right lung (but not left) and in his liver. He recommended a form of chemotherapy treatment to begin tomorrow (Tuesday) and dad has agreed. If this makes dad really sick, he doesn’t have to take anymore treatments. The next option is hospice.

Dad has some pain in his chest last night, and it seems that’s from the cancer, but we can’t be sure.

So that’s where we’re at. Nothing great, but perhaps the treatments can get him strong enough to go home for a little while.

Friday night

Blogger just ate my update. Here's the shorter version...

No PET scan today (hospital error, collect $200?--Monopoly)

CT scan and brain scan--results Monday, I think

Lung biopsy yesterday--results Monday

Will meet with oncologist Monday to discuss results and treatment options--Please pray that there will BE treatment options.

Jared is at hospital tonight, Shirley is home in BG to rest tonight and gear up for another several days at the hospital.

Praise that oxygen levels seem to be somewhat improved, although this is the result of being on higher dose of oxygen. Pray antibiotics/steroids begin to take effect to clear up pneumonia and that this will bring some improvement in his breathing and clear up some of his confusion.

Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement. Please keep them coming.

Friday morning

Thanks to the Paschals and Folkers coming down and staying with our kids (even baby Luke!), Jared and I were able to go up to see Gerald together for a couple of hours. It was good to see him! He still has his sense of humor, as long as he's getting plenty of oxygen, but when he exerts himself (talking, moving around much), he begins to get confused until he gets his oxygen levels back up. He is on antibiotics and now steriods for the pneumonia, so hopefully when that takes effect, his oxygen levels will be better. We had been concerned that the confusion was something worse, but now that he's on oxygen, that seems to have improved, which is at least a small relief.

He is having the PET scan this morning as far as we know. I think it will be afternoon before those results are in. Please pray about those results. It is difficult to know what to pray for. We know God can heal him completely if that is His will. We also know He can take Him quickly if that is His will. We also know that in this fallen world, sometimes illness is a long and difficult process, and really we are hoping that will not be the case for him, but we trust God knows what is best for all of us, including Gerald. Thank you for keeping up and for praying for him.

**Thanks also to all of you who have emailed, called, prayed, offered to keep kids, etc. I know we are not the only ones who have gone, are going, or will go through this. Thank you for all of it. We hope to be more and more like the Jesus we see in each of you.**

5:15 update

The bronchoscopy showed that there are some spots which appear to be pneumonia (as expected) and also a mass pushing on some part of his lung that is causing his difficulty breathing. They biopsied this but will not have results until probably Monday, which means he will be in Nashville until at least Monday. Also, plans are now to go ahead with the PET scan tomorrow (Friday) morning. Thanks again for praying. God is good.

checking in

Jared just called and said the tests this morning did not yield any answers so Gerald is currently undergoing a bronchoscopy (?). Don't know what time we'll know the results of that.

Update, sort of

There's not much to update, but I talked to Jared a few minutes ago and he said they did a CT scan early this morning, but the lung doctor hadn't been in yet to tell them the results. Apparently the top priority right now is finding out what is wrong with his lungs/breathing. For now, the PET scan has been postponed. They have told him he should expect to stay at Centennial at least a few days as they figure out the breathing problems and how to treat. I'll try to keep updating this blog as we find out more specifics to pray for. Thank you for lifting our family before the Father.

prayers appreciated

I've hesitated to ask for prayers for some reason, but I'm asking now. My precious father-in-law, Gerald, is in the hospital for (I think) the 3rd time in about as many weeks. Some of you know, he had lung cancer last year (a small tumor removed surgically and 4 rounds of chemo), but seemed to be doing pretty well. He started having pain a couple of months ago and no real explanation could be found. It did not appear at that time that the cancer had returned. As new symptoms starting piling on, more tests were done which led one of his doctors to think it was cancer, but his oncologist did not believe it was. So he came to Nashville for a 2nd (3rd?) opinion a couple of weeks ago. Plans were made for a PET scan to be done today in Nashville to determine whether the cancer is back and if so, to what extent. At one of his trips to the hospital in BG, a scan showed the possibility that it is also in his liver. In any case, he had to go to the emergency room in BG yesterday (Wednesday) and they believe he has pneumonia, and he is having a very difficult time breathing, even on oxygen. He was transferred last night to Nashville (Thanks, Dana!!!!!), we thought so that he could have the scheduled scan and appointment with his oncologist here today, but now it looks as though they may not be able to do the scan.


In any case, he needs your prayers. For healing, for peace, for understanding, for strength, for the doctors and medical personnel who tend to him, for Shirley and Jared as they care for him and make decisions, for the kids as they process that Grandaddy is not the same as he's always been to them. For whatever God lays on your heart. We KNOW He is in control, and, as Jared said just a couple of days ago, these are the times when we either believe it or we don't. It feels like it's been a tough couple of years in our family, though obviously there are many, many others who have had it worse, and we have had some major blessings in those times as well. One of those blessings has been feeling so intensely the support of the prayers of others. God has been good. He has given us more than we deserve. We are forever grateful to Him for His great mercy. Our greatest prayer is that His will be done. We hope we are a part of that, and hope you are, too.



**Several people have asked, but right now I don't know of anything the family needs besides prayers, although cards would be nice, too. If you don't have their address, email me and I will get it to you. I'm not sure about visitors yet, or food, or anything like that. I will try to post again if I find out more.**

Wuke, wishes and wands 7-13-08

Thanks to the Paschals for this ball-popper they gave Luke. The older kids have used it as a "Wish Maker" which, true to it's name, makes wishes come true. I guess this says something about the ridiculously high boredom level at our house this summer, but this has been the most popular attraction!

It takes a REAL man to nap on the couch holding a butterfly wand! He was picking up toys, sat down on the couch to rest "a minute", and fell asleep! He's a hard-working daddy.

From Daddy

Luke Wesley Smalling was born Friday night at 10:15 PM. He weighs 11 lbs and 1.25 ounces and measures 22 inches long (no, that is not a typo). Both he and Melanie are doing well. We are all now home from the hospital and settling in.

For all of those who mourned with us, I ask you to rejoice with us today. The Lord has been merciful to bless us with another child, not that we may forget our sorrow, but that we may marvel at His incomparable goodness.

May the Kings of kings look down upon us all today and find us in wonder of his majesty and thankful to be his children.

"He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." Isaiah 61:1-3

Jared

Hoosier Daddy

Jared here, folks. Melanie and I are in the hospital earlier than ever before. Melanie is getting to start walking around and continue the "all natural" labor. We would appreciate your prayers for us as Melanie attempts to go sans pain medication again.

We also want anyone who reads this to know that we give glory to God for our new son at this moment. We have learned that God's plans are not our plans, but in everything He preserves us and guides us.

More to come...

Happy Things

I'll start with him...

If you've never met him, he's my husband. And he's hilarious. And he's a tax CPA so I'm sure he would appreciate prayers as he longs for April 15 to pass. I'm posting this now because I'm pretty sure he's WAY too busy WORKING for a living to check my blog right now :-) Sneaky, huh? But seriously, he's a wonderful man, husband, and dad, and I am so thankful for him. He makes me very, very happy.

Especially when he does things like this...

I can't help but think that since God is the Father, He had to have had a reason for making Daddies so good at working hard all day, and then coming home to have fun with the kids (the wrestling, the sword-fighting, the water-fights, the just plain ol' hangin' out together). In every other way I see the parent/child relationship as a reflection of His relationship with His children. And it just makes sense that He looks forward to nothing more than the day we can rest safely with Him, when our long, hard work day is done, and just enjoy being together. Whatever the reason, seeing this daddy and his kids together just makes me happy.

She makes me happy in a different kind of way:

Our Ruby is our very real reminder of the treasure we have laid up in heaven. And that this world is not our home. And that God uses the tiniest and lowliest of this world to move us in the greatest ways. And part of me says, "Lord, come quickly!" because of Ruby, but part of me, also because of Ruby, says, "Lord, give us a little more time to rescue more of your precious children!" And seeing that Daddy's hand holding that tiny daughter's hand reminds me that He would leave the 99 who are safe and secure to rescue the 1 who is not yet safe and secure with Him. Oh, that I could see the world and each precious child of His the way He does...with even more love and longing than I have for my own earthly children. Ruby Anne is truly a happy thing!

This little un-named boy makes me happy, too...and not just because he looks like his brother, Noah (aka "my happiness")...

New life, new hope, the miracle of love that multiplies when it is divided...

I love them just a tiny bit more than all the numbers in the world when they do this, especially together...
...in part because BOOKS make me so happy. And my children? Reading books? OH. SO. HAPPY. And me? With time to read books? Also very, very happy. Especially Timeline or any books by Michael Crichton. And now I've been addicted to this on PBS, so I'm looking forward to someday rereading some Jane Austen. Probably after all my kids are grown. But still, I have dreams. Big dreams.

My Valentine

**The longest post ever...if not longer. But worth it because my husband rocks!**

If Jared had bet me $100 yesterday that he would have Madeline *asking* to try peanut butter, pepperoni and cheese TOGETHER on a saltine, I would have absolutely taken him up on it. There's NO way. She's not THE pickiest eater ever, but she definitely does NOT have an adventurous palate. And, until today, she doesn't like pepperoni. Or her foods mixed together.

And yet, somehow, he made it happen. I was in the bed feeling pretty lousy (lousy enough to send everyone to church without me, which is rare). Jared and the kids had just gotten home from church. I had thought if I just rested the first hour they were gone, I would feel up to fixing some very minor lunch by the time they got back. But I did not. And due to my poor household management, we had no bread, no milk, no macaroni & cheese, no fast and easy meals. And no more "eat out" money until the 15th. But I was laying in the bed, feeling yuck, wondering how long it would take Jared to realize the food situation, get mad at me for my poor planning, and then fuss at the kids (because he couldn't fuss at me, I was sick). In my mind, it was going to be a rough afternoon.

You would think I would know better. After he had them pick up their rooms (we get out of church early, 10:30, home by 10:40, so this was not punishment or child neglect) and the playroom, I heard Madeline making the usual "daddy's-gotta-cook" meal suggestions...pb&j, bologna sandwiches, hot dogs, microwave mac & cheese, cereal...and Jared searching through the cabinets for non-existent ingredients to any one of these. No luck. But he was still using his "patient voice", so I was impressed. No sarcastic comments about his baby's mama...so far, so good. Then I hear him say, "Well, we have crackers, let's see what else could go with them?" They found peanut butter, pepperoni, and sliced cheese. While he took these to the table, Madeline said she didn't think that looked like enough crackers for all of them. I cringed. I, already annoyed by the lack of edible food for Sunday lunch, would probably have told her she could hush and eat or keep talking and go to her room. But instead, my precious husband said, still in his patient voice, "Why don't you and Noah figure out how many crackers you need if you are each going to have 4 cracker sandwiches with a top and a bottom", and left them to their crackers. What??!! A math lesson??!! You turned Madeline's daily-required mealtime complaints into a math lesson??!!

A couple of minutes later, they'd correctly figured out that they needed a total of 24 crackers for all 3 kids to have 4 (made up of 2) crackers. Yippee! I was grinning. Next, he put the few topping choices on the table and asked them, one at a time, what they wanted on their crackers. I think I fell asleep during part of this, or just couldn't hear, I can't remember, but then I vividly remember hearing Madeline princess say, "I wonder how it would taste with peanut butter and pepperoni?" Really...with no threats. If I had even suggested peanut butter mixed with ANYTHING other than jelly, she would have gone into orbit. But it was her idea, so it worked. Jared, sounding a little surprised, made her a peanut butter-pepperoni cracker, and SHE ATE IT. Now, since it had been her suggestion, even if it had made her gag, her stubborn self would have oohed and aahed over how tasty it was. But it sounded like she did actually kind of like it. So everyone peacefully ate their gourmet saltine cracker lunch.

Then Noah asked for dessert. As if we ever eat dessert. They get snacks that are sweet sometimes, but we never eat dessert. Not that dessert could really make a meal of saltines, peanut butter, pepperoni, and cheese any LESS nutritionally sound. I figured that request was Jared's cue to send the kids away from the table to go have "quiet time" in their rooms (as is typical for Sunday afternoon after lunch). No, he played a guessing game with them to figure out what dessert would be. A guessing game. He made it fun. He made ONE oatmeal crem.e pie, split four ways (because that's all we had left), exciting because they played a guessing game. Seriously. And that's not all, folks. He made it into a fractions lesson by having Noah show him how to divide it evenly 4 ways. I kid you not. And they were more in love with him for fixing them a lunch of saltines with 1/4 of an oatmeal creme pie for dessert than if he'd bought out the toy store. Frankly, so was I.

So let me just say: I love you, Jared. Just when I think that because I am overwhelmed, you must be, too, you come through with a day like that. Lunch, math, and a cleaned up house...sometimes you are just too much. I love you and I think you've found my love language. Loving our passel of kids. You are the coolest man ever...if not cooler.

You might be a redneck if...

...you use grocery sacks (I'm talkin' Walmart or Kroger, not Whole Foods or anything) as insulation!

Our converted one-car garage, "the downstairs", which functions as playroom, office, mudroom, and storage area, leaks air like nobody's business. Not that our other 53-year-old windows don't too, but this is bad. It's FU-REE-ZING down there. Well, Jared got the bright idea that bubble wrap might provide some insulation on our ginormous window (think solid glass garage door here). Actually, he first tried to put it on our front windows in the living room, which I thankfully talked him out of. We compromised and he gets to put it on back windows only. Well, the bubble wrap on the window isn't too terrible...it's not immediately obvious from the outside, and no one really checks out the back of our house anyway. But now he's moved on to grocery sacks...stuffed in the knotty-pine paneling (that's another issue--apparently orange shellac was the only stain available in 1955), the doors, and now on the window of the doors. It's bad. Ricky-Bobby-bad. My-Name-Is-Earl-bad. I'm pretty easy-going, but is this over-the-top? Yep, I thought you'd agree. I love my husband, and he's right that it's cold, and he's even right that the grocery sacks seem to help some. But give a girl a break. Thanks for letting me vent. And thanks, Hannah, for the picture of Wesley licking his snotty face...you've reminded me that it's not always peachy and THAT'S OKAY!! Hey, Mom and Dad, when can you return the wrecked '93 Civic we loaned you? Jared needs to get it up on blocks ASAP. (Just kidding...I hope!)

Jared in Venezuela

**Final update: Jared and the McInteers have all made it home safely (after a few more delays and bumps)! Praise God!

**Update: Got a call from him last night that they made it safely and had an uneventful trip! Thank you for your prayers...keep them coming! (or going, I guess)**

My man is in Venezuela right now, hopefully close to being at his destination city of Barquisimeto. He is with a couple from church who are going to be conducting a marriage seminar for the church we work with there. They were supposed to arrive yesterday early in the day, but due to bad weather in Houston Tuesday, they are just now getting there! This trip has been a lesson in patience for us...in giving it over to God: The original couple who went last year had a conflict come up after dates had already been confirmed--God provided a couple to go in their place; The translators who went last year and are amazingly qualified had a family emergency last week and could not go--God provided a translator from the church in Venezuela (meaning we didn't have to make last-minute travel arrangements); After arriving at the airport to leave Tue night, they were told the Houston flight was cancelled--God provided open seats on the same flights the following day; In trying to change the Venezuelan legs of the trip, we discovered that there were no seats on the commuter flights to get them to Barquisimeto on the new date--God provided 3 seats on an afternoon flight, meaning they had to spend the day at the airport, but didn't have to ride the 8 hours on a bus! Anyway, they are arriving late and missing some of the counseling sessions they'd planned to have with couples from the church, but we trust God will bless them in the conference itself and that He will bring many couples to the church that would not otherwise be there. Marriage is a huge problem there...many couples outside the church (or even newly converted) just do not see the purpose in getting married. And of those who do, many of the men leave after contributing a houseful of children, and are never heard from again. Even those who want to have a Godly marriage have so many difficulties because they've never seen a decent example. This is one of the greatest needs in the Venezuelan culture (as it is for us here in the States). This congregation has done amazing work to build marriages and reach out to non-Christians through Christian counseling. We just pray for God to show up in a mighty way this week as they seek Him!

In preparation for this trip, Jared and I have stopped and looked at each other and said, "Wow, Satan REALLY does not want this trip to happen!" He has put up so many roadblocks and tried his best to stop this work. God must have something great planned this week for His "counterfeit" to be so jealous! Still, I ask for your prayers for safety for Jared, Mark & Melinda. Mark & Melinda return Friday and Jared on Monday. Thanks!!

Family pictures

I of course think my kids are adorable, but they will NOT pose for pictures! What is wrong with them?! Everyone else's kids LOVE having their pictures taken...not mine. Madeline tolerates it, but is usually busy bossing the boys when I snap the picture. Jack's reaction is obvious here...he gets mad. Noah is either being silly (as in this example) or hiding (which he may have also been in the process of here). Any suggestions??

From my husband

It was one year ago today that many of you stood (literally) with Melanie and I as we buried our daughter. I wasn’t certain what the future would hold for our family after such a terrible loss. One year later, even though sad, we are whole. The Lord has been faithful to us through your hands and your prayers.

Each of us has and will suffer as long as we’re in this world. Some of you are suffering as you read this note. But I tell you to hang on to God and the hope of a better place not so long from now. Don’t rely on me, but rely on God and perhaps He’ll choose me to help you. He chose many of you to help me.

Please say a prayer for Melanie and me this week and remember this scripture from Philippians 3:20-21.

“But our homeland is in heaven, and we are waiting for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. By his power to rule all things, he will change our humble bodies and make them like his own glorious body.”

God bless you.

Jared