Just some pics and heartfelt sentiments

So, I'll finish the Hawaii posts later, but I wanted to share some pics of our family.

Allison and Daddy playing with her leggos. I never did a Father's day post, but let it just be said that I know Jason is the best husband I could ask for and the best father Allison could ever have. He is patient, intentional, loving and one of the hardest working servants I know. Love you babe!

Mom and Allie just screwin' around

Seriously...look at those eyes.

Went to Wonderscope (indoor children's hands-on museum). Allison loved the doctor sets and the astronaut exhibits the best.

This is supposed to be an astronaut helmet...she ran around with that thing on for a while!

She tried to sweep the floor the other day. Helpful...I know!

This is a house Jason made for Allison out of our dishwasher box. It has a door and two windows. She loves it. See, who needs expensive toys for your kids...a box does just fine!

Today I went to Deanna Rose Farm with my friend Katherine and her daughter Anna. We just took a few pics.

Mommy and Allie!

I realized that I had not posted pics in a while so I wanted to do that while I had the time. However, I have a secondary agenda. Katherine and her husband Dylan have been very close friends of ours for some years now. Several weeks ago, Dylan found a lump on his neck. Long story short, he had a cat scan done which showed three or four lumps of lymph tissue in his chest. One was so large it was displacing his aorta a bit. The biopsy came back with Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. They have no more info than that. They don't know what type, stage, treatment options...nothing. They are going to be meeting with doctor in a little over a week. Dylan does not feel sick, and if you didn't know...you could never tell that he has cancer. There have been some frustrations already...the cancer center at KU Med is 3 months out on appointments and no one seems to be in a big hurry to sit down with the Krugers and talk with them. So, they are in a terribly painful and emotionally draining limbo. I would ask that everyone begin praying for the Krugers. I will try to post updates for those of you who are interested. I know that Katherine has a blog, but I do not have permission to give out the address. So, in the meantime, please pray for our very dear friends and their daughter Anna (who is 13 months right now). Pray for them to find a good doctor who will be upfront and speedy with them. Pray that God will sustain them and as Katherine says "give me grace for the moment." The future is very uncertain, but with Christ, there are no uncertainties. He loves us with a love we will never be able to understand. He hurts with us, He suffers with us, He holds our hearts in His precious loving hands and wraps His cloak of comfort around our aching shoulders. We do not understand His purposes, but we trust that His purposes are right and good...even when we do not see it. At times I feel completely inept at saying the right thing or letting them know how much they mean to Jason and I. Sometimes there are no words. All we can do is grieve with them and put on our armour of prayer and head into one of the hardest spiritual battles they will ever face.
For Katherine and Dylan,
We love you more than you can know. We are sad with you, we are scared with you, but we are praying for you. Let God comfort you and give you a peace that passes our own understanding. Cling tightly to Him and His promise that He will never leave us or forsake us. And most importantly, if you are ever feeling "alone in your grief" again...you have our number! Clearly Allison does fine going down at your place, and Lost marathons and popcorn and ice cream binges are (I have heard) a salve for the soul!!
Jason and Valerie