I ask myself sometimes, "Why oh, why, can you not be satisfied?"

Luke has been doing so well lately and tonight I began to ask myself, why I can't be satisfied with how great he is doing. It was amazing yesterday when the oxygen man came, as he does every other week, to only exchange 2 small tanks of oxygen. We used to have to exchange up to 12 some weeks. Luke's oxygen levels have been absolutely phenomenal lately, I checked him earlier today because he sounded a bit "junky" or you might say congested, but his oxygen level was at 100%. I remember when I used to cry out to the Lord to heal his lungs, I remember saying "Lord if you would just heal his lungs and make him breathe easier life would be so much better". It is better not having to worry about his oxygen levels at night or listening to his alarms going off all night long, but I guess I want more.

I so desire for Luke to start communicating with his voice again, just to hear him say Mommy, would be heavenly. I would love to see his legs bending, his muscle tone has gotten worse lately. I was hoping that putting him in the Hyperbaric chamber more often would help it, but after 5 dives in the last week and a half there doesn't seem to be much change. Bottom line is I would love to see Luke back to the way he was before this whole journey began. I know it is coming but I get so impatient for it to be today.

The Lord has been really dealing with me to be content where I'm at right now. Our Pastor, which also happens to be my brother in law, spoke an awesome word last Sunday about being in God's perfect will even at times there doesn't seem to be any progress made in your life and finding peace at being there. I have decided that I need to take it a step farther, not just being at peace where I'm at, but finding the joy of Lord in this place I find myself to be in. I know this is possible, because God's word is true and does not lie, therefore when it says I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me this includes of course finding his joy in times of frustration at what appears to be His slow timing.

Would you please join me in praying for the following prayer requests:

• Continue to pray with me that Luke's legs will limber up and begin to bend. That all his muscle tone will begin to loosen up and that he will relax in our arms again.
• For Luke to begin to use his voice in communicating, specifically that he will say mommy and daddy, along with all his siblings names again.
• That he will pass his swallow test on July 20th, so that we can begin to feed him with confidence in knowing that he will not aspirate. Also for me that I will not feel anxious about having to go the Hospital for this procedure.
• That he will stay healthy during our camping trip.

As I just mentioned above, we leave tomorrow for the Oregon coast for 2 1/2 weeks, to say I'm excited about going would be putting it mildly. My life gets so busy with Luke's appointments and so many other important things I need to do each day, I need a few weeks to just take it easy. My parents have blessed us with sharing their membership at Leisure Time Resorts, which are some beautiful campgrounds in Washington and Oregon, they are free for us to stay at, a huge blessing to say the least. Our favorite resort is just south of Newport, OR right across the Highway from the Pacific Ocean. I look forward to sitting by the ocean, even if the weather is not always great, playing games with the family, reading and listening to books and watching sunsets. I know that Daniel is looking forward to surfing, Gordy and Amy are excited to go golfing a few times, Natalie is looks forward to reading and relaxing, Isaiah and Ezekiel just want play for hours on the beach, in the indoor pool and at the playground. Luke looks forward to not having any appointments, swimming in the pool and flying the kite at the beach and Lily will love having all the family together in one place, as this is her most favorite thing in the world, Josh will be joining us for the week that Daniel is coming and I hope my parents can come for a few days.

I will try to post while we are gone, if we have a computer available. Thank you once again for your continued prayers, I have mentioned this many times, but it bears repeating, without the prayer support that we receive this journey that we've been on for sooo long would be impossible to bear. May God richly bless you today!

Love in Christ,
Luke's Mommy Sue

We heard Luke cry again last night for the first time since his accident

Luke cried last night for the first time since before his accident. We had gone to a park to play and swim all day and as we were driving into the driveway, I guess that he had been in his car seat too long, so he cried. Everyone in the car was amazed to hear him cry, as he has not done that in such a long time. He has moaned before but never actually cried. It got me to crying and I've been teary ever since. I was amazed that as soon as I took him out of his car seat he smiled, so it really meant that he was just uncomfortable. Luke had a great time yesterday swimming, I hope that we will be able to get him into a pool often this summer as he really seemed to enjoy himself.

Luke has also been following more commands lately. The other day when he was in the Hyperbaric chamber I asked him to put up his hand up and touch his nose, which he did and then I asked him to put his arm down and he did that also, he didn't just do it once but at least 3 times after that. Doug the man who owns the chambers was amazed to hear that he is following commands.

As I mentioned above his crying has got me to crying, I've been extremely emotional since last night. My friend had asked me awhile back to share a testimony tonight in her women's bible study group, about our journey these past few years. So needless to say I'm looking forward to sharing tonight, but I'm praying that I won't be a emotional wreck. I'm excited that God has been opening up doors for me to share our testimony of His healing power and constant care in our lives since Luke's accident. Please be praying that God will continue to open doors for me to share about His faithfulness and healing power in our lives, I want more people to realize that God is the same yesterday, today and forever and just as He healed and touched lives thousands of years ago when He walked on the earth, He is still in the healing business today.

Love in Christ,
Luke's Mommy Sue

Luke is eating peanut butter and loves it!

Guess what? Luke started chewing this week, which is a huge answer to prayer. On Monday I decided to try and give him some bites of food, he really seems to like peanut butter. He is actually chewing and swallowing, which is the first time I've seen him move his mouth when we've given him a bite of food, since his accident. He has continued to chew everyday we've given him food. Yesterday at church Yoli gave him some bites of chocolate cake and he seemed to love it. Also yesterday he went to a birthday party and each time I would ask him to stick his tongue out to taste the sucker I was giving him he would do it. It's so exciting to see these changes in him, though it would seem that when we are feeding him it does cause him to be more congested, I guess his silvia glands are working overtime which he has not been used to, therefore he has been coughing more. Please pray that he will be able to eat by mouth all the time and we will be able to get rid of the g-tube feeding tube in his stomach, that would be the greatest thing in the world.

We had a busy day on Friday, Luke had a speech therapy evaluation in the morning and then in the afternoon an Occupational therapy evaluation. We have put these therapies off because when he began Physical therapy, it seemed that would be the thing that he could benefit from the most. Both therapists seemed to be positive in their belief's that Luke is ready to make some progress in his speech, eating and making sounds. The OT also gave us a little brush to use on Luke's arms and legs, Luke is hypersensitive to touch on his right hand and arm, so much so that if you touch his hand or arm he will get extremely tense. If you tell him you are going to touch his hand he seems to be able to take it a little better. The OT said by using this brush on all his limbs he will become less sensitive in on his right arm and hand. We are blessed in the fact that the OT is skilled in both OT and Speech therapy, so she will be able to help us in both therapies.

Friday was kind of a hard day for me as I listened to these ladies tell me all the things that Luke will be able to do in upcoming days. They are not looking through "God's glasses of faith" as I do each day. I know that God is healing Luke and he is not going to be dependent on using switches and his eyes to communicate to us for the rest of his life. This faith walk is so challenging at times, but I know that is where God wants me to be, in a place of trusting Him and not what others say, or what my eyes see. I think that I've shared this scripture before, but it is so good I will share it again. Blessed are they that do not see, but still believe John 20:29b. I believe that God's word is true and therefore I feel blessed to know to know that God has called me blessed, I don't see Luke's complete healing, but I know without a shadow of a doubt it's coming.

Some other news to report, Natalie graduated on Saturday. About 80 people came to celebrate and congratulate Natalie on her success. Natalie played two beautiful piano pieces and we had a grand time visiting and eating, with lots of loving family members and dear friends sharing in the joy we had on her special day. It's so hard for me to believe that we've had three kids graduate from our Home school. I mentioned to a few people the next big celebration we will have in our family will be a wedding, not that I'm announcing anything, it's just that we have a ten year gap before Isaiah will graduate. I am daily reminded as I look upon my children of God's goodness in our lives, He has blessed us beyond our wildest dreams to give us with such wonderful children.

This next week we are hosting our wonderful friends, the Hurtado's as they visit us from Nebraska, we are looking forward to a week filled with great and busy times. Please be praying with us that Luke will stay healthy as we are going camping over the weekend. The weather in our area has not always been so wonderful at this time of the year, therefore we are praying that we will be blessed with a little bit of warmth and no rain.

May God richly bless you today!

Love in Christ,
Luke's Mommy Sue