The Couch....

Meet our couch....



In the last two weeks, Marc and I, separately, have become "one" with this couch. You see, sickness has been running its course through the Friesen Household.

Several weeks ago, Luke was sick....He's all better now. Yeah!

Last week, Marc came home sick one day from work -- fever, chills, aches, etc....He then stayed home another day. He went back to work on the third day, but he said he was still "knocked down" by the sickness.

In taking a glance at the CDC website as well as talking with a friend who is a very experienced nurse, we're fairly certain he had H1N1.

Then, this past Sunday evening, I noticed a little tickle in my throat during our Community Life Group.

Voila!!!! Monday morning, I woke up with a nice cold.

In my opinion, it's actually gotten progressively worse throughout this week. I've been EXTREMELY congested, have a little bit of a sore throat and cough, and generally am tired and don't feel well. But, NO FEVER!!!! So, I truly think it's just a cold.

So, back to the couch....

Marc was coughing so much and tossing and turning, he graciously slept on the couch for several nights so that I could sleep well in bed.

Then, this week, I've been tossing and turning and sniffling, etc., so I've been sleeping on the couch. Perhaps, one of these days, we can once again both sleep in our bed together.

Before I met Marc, in my single days, I actually bought this couch. It was wonderful to have a brand new couch....

Then, when Marc and I got married, we moved into our home we purchased.

It's starting to wear a bit, but there's no way we're replacing it yet....Luke and hopefully someday, Luke's sibling(s) need to get a little bit bigger. This couch, I know, is not through "wearing" in the Friesen Household.

This afternoon, though I didn't feel well, I had a hard time taking a nap while Luke was sleeping -- I only was able to sleep 40 minutes.

So, I got up and threw together some homemade Chicken and Noodle Soup (except the noodles weren't homemade). YUMMMMM.....



Even with carrots....



It tasted soooo good on my raw throat this evening.

Since I didn't feel like doing much else, I also threw together some No Bake Cookies. Marc needs them tomorrow at work for "food day" (I guess that's what you call it). They too are YUMMY. Luke took part of those as well.



What has Luke been doing this week -- while his Mommy hasn't felt much like playing?

Well, he finds ways to entertain himself -- such as cleaning out the pantry when I accidentally leave the door open and don't watch every move he makes.



Or, he does things to make me as well as himself laugh...



This cold will go away -- just not soon enough for me.

However, this week, I have been thinking that my cold is absolutely NOTHING compared to what our friend Lisa is going through....

Lisa and her husband Mark are in our Community Life Group. Last year, Lisa was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. After going through months of chemo, Lisa and Mark found out early in the summer that the Hodgkin's had returned. Her oncologist then recommended a Stem Cell Transplant. Knowing that a Stem Cell Transplant is a MAJOR procedure, Lisa and Mark pursued a second opinion at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.

The oncologist they met with there also recommended the transplant.

So, right now, Lisa and Mark are at KU Medical Center in Kansas City, and Lisa is undergoing the transplant.

She and Mark will be up there for probably at least six weeks.

So, I will not complain about my cold. I will get over it. I just might possibly have to remain on the couch for a bit longer at night.

Lisa -- if you're reading this -- know that we're praying for you daily. We missed you and Mark at Community Life Group the other night.

We'll hopefully be up to see you late next week -- assuming we're healthy :)

If you'd like to read Lisa's story as well as how her treatment is going, CLICK HERE!

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

Kanopolis State Park -- Days Two and Three....

After our first night of Luke sleeping VERY WELL at Kanopolis State Park, we had a nice big breakfast -- at the request of Marc.

For those of you who know Marc well, it will not surprise you that he wanted bacon. Since we were on "vacation," I graciously made bacon, eggs, and toast -- both mornings even.



When first planning this trip, we had originally planned on doing some hiking as there are quite a few really scenic trails in this park. The plan was to somehow obtain a hiking backpack to carry Luke.

We didn't want to buy one because we don't hike that much. We couldn't justify the expense.

We tried E-Bay and Craig's List. We came very close on E-Bay to getting one until somebody out-bidded us the last two minutes of bidding.

We knew somebody who had one, but they were needing it as they have a little girl about a month younger than Luke. They're HEAVY users of the backpack.

I called around to a couple of "outdoors" type places in Wichita to see if we could rent one....Nope -- you can't rent one in Wichita anymore (that's what some helpful person told me).

So, we resorted to hauling along the jogging stroller -- one more big thing to pack in the Trail Blazer.

While we didn't take the jogging stroller on any rugged trails, we did do quite a bit of walking around the park. It was chilly outside, but don't worry -- we kept Luke plenty warm.



Because it was obviously "off-season," there was really nothing going on in the park -- a little bit depressing in a way but also at the same time, very quiet and peaceful. See -- nobody camping....



Kanopolis Lake is a small lake by you "lake people" standards. Plus, Kansas does have lakes, but they're nothing compared to other states.

Just for fun....here's a photo of the small marina at the park -- obviously, closed for the season.



After a really nice walk, we were getting chilly. So, we headed back inside.

Luke found things to play with -- in this photo, he's playing with my shoes.



After a good lunch and naps (which Luke didn't take a great one)....we hopped into the Trail Blazer and went about 15 minutes away to another very SMALL state park -- Mushroom Rock State Park.



This park originally had a trail go through it many years ago (horses and wagons). It was donated to the state of Kansas by Ellsworth County. It does have some cool rock formations as well as small picnic areas -- like I said, very small but kind of neat.



Here are the neat rock formations. I think you all will understand how the park got its name.







After that little visit, we headed back to our cabin. We had supper and played some more games -- with which Marc beat me again.

The next morning, as we were preparing to leave, the sun came out (of course). It really is indeed a pretty view from the porch of the cabin -- especially when the sun is shining.





After we got packed up, we actually headed just a bit out of our way (15 miles or so) to visit a Dairy Queen I used to work with -- sorry, but the owners of this location are very nice people and they run a GREAT Dairy Queen. I guess I just can't fully get away from the business :)

We had lunch there (Luke LOVES his ice cream cones). Then, we drove home.

Overall, it was a nice, quick, and close-by vacation. We both agree we would go again, but we'd like to maybe go when it's hot so we could get in the lake.

It would be REALLY fun to have another family to go with us. However, the cabins would be much too small for two families. You'd have to get one cabin per family.

Also, now that they're building more cabins -- it would make a GREAT Community Life Group trip -- for all of you Grace Community Church Young Family readers.

If you're interested, you can talk with Marc or me about the details of making reservations and paying the park for cabin use.

Kanopolis State Park -- Day One....

This post should've been done several weeks ago, but hey -- life gets busy. At least all of you faithful readers will see this post now.

Before Luke, when I too was working full-time and money wasn't as tight (which I'm not complaining about at all since I am honored to stay home and be Luke's full-time Mommy -- a decision we do NOT regret).....we traveled quite a bit.

But, since Luke's birth, sadly, we really haven't traveled. I think it's for several reasons -- a) we're slightly whimpy about venturing away from our comfortable home with Luke b) sometimes it's just easier to stay home c) Many of the places we'd like to go and have life goals to get to are not places we want to take a small child d) we have some financial goals we're trying to attain and until those are attained, we're not spending too much money on travel.

Anyways, we wanted to go somewhere. Thanks to Marc's extreme long-distance running, we've had the opportunity to learn about some doable "stay-cations."

Marc has always enjoyed running in Kanopolis State Park -- in Central Kansas -- a little over an hour from where we live.

From some of his running friends, he knew of some cabins recently built in quite a few state parks around Kansas.

We thought it would be a great little trip for the Friesen Family.

These cabins are only a few years old...They're affordable...But, you do have to provide linens, etc. And, there aren't restaurants nearby (especially this time of year -- the off season). So, you have to take all food that you'll need.

Yes, there are fully stocked kitchens in these little cabins.

So, back in the middle of October....Here's Day One of our trip (the other two days will come in a future post).

First, getting everything packed at home....



I have NEVER been a light packer -- it's really something I did not learn in the 10 years I traveled on business. Plus, it was our first time traveling with Luke. We have a lot to learn about traveling with a child. And, we weren't completely sure what all would be in these cabins. We didn't want to get there and be missing something -- there certainly was NOT a Wal-Mart close.

Our Trail Blazer proved to be EXTREMELY handy. It was full.



Just for fun -- a photo of Luke on the way to Kanopolis State Park.



Our first 1 1/2 days of this trip were cloudy and very cool. But, here is what the cute little cabin looked like....



Currently, there are only two cabins in this particular park. However, when we were there, the state park officials were actually working on more cabins (we thought they might possibly be building four more or so). There is a state prison nearby, and some of the minimum security inmates actually do quite a bit of work on these cabins. The cabins are located in the "Little Bluestem Cabin Area" of the state park.



And, here's the view from the front porch of the cabin (better photos will follow when the sun was shining -- in a future post)...Stay tuned!



Luke had a good time exploring a new "home."



I did take some of Luke's toys along, and I'm soooo glad I did. He was very content on this trip.



I also took some balloons along -- you know, one of those "special" treats you get on certain occasions. Luke really enjoyed them.



Here's a photo of the inside of the cabin. It's rather cozy. There is one bedroom -- it's to the right of the kitchen. Luke got the bedroom. We slept on a pull-out bed in the living area. There's one bathroom behind the kitchen area. This cabin is fully climate-controlled. We definitely stayed plenty warm.



These cabins do NOT have television or radio. There is NOT wireless internet. So, it was a great opportunity for us to be unplugged for a few days. We did have cell service on both of our phones, but we didn't use the phones. But, in case of an emergency, I was glad our phones worked.

We did take a laptop -- for playing CDs and watching a couple of movies. That was helpful!

What did we do, you might ask??? Well, both of us, after Luke went to bed, got quite a bit of reading done. We both read a lot of God's word. We both read some other things as well.



We also took some games to play. Here is one of our games -- an American Trivia game -- trivia about our country.

Yes, Marc nearly always wins games. I actually was way ahead of him for awhile on this game that evening, but he ultimately did win, of course.



One thing I was VERY worried about was how Luke would sleep. Luke does NOT have a great history of sleeping well other places. He's very "trained" to sleep in his bed and his bed alone.

But, he does know his Pack 'N Play. Here at home, he does sleep with white noise in the background, and I took that "noise" along.

I'm very happy to report that he did VERY WELL sleeping on this trip. The nap wasn't the greatest, but the nights were terrific. He did his usual 12 hours of sleeping.

So, stay tuned for a future post about our relaxing trip....

Grandfather....

Two days ago, I made a post about Veterans' Day. I honored some veterans whom we know and thank publically. We know many more I could have added to that list.

Please know again that we do THANK ALL veterans who have served our country!

Because it was Veterans' Day today, Luke once again wore his flag shirt.



One veteran I didn't mention in my previous post was my grandfather, Lewie Becker. Grandpa fought in World War II, and I think he was proud of his service to our country -- even though I know that, at times, the war was very U.G.L.Y. for him.

My grandfather passed away in June, 2002. The thing about Veterans' Day is that this day was also his birthday. If he were still with us here on earth, he'd be 93 today!

Recently, in the Young Moms' Bible Study that I am a part of on Tuesday mornings, we were discussing prayer and marriage. A question was posed about married couples who set a good example of praying together.

Not too many couples who pray together regularly were mentioned. But, I did mention my grandparents. From the time I can remember, they always prayed together, each night, on their knees....As a child I didn't realize the importance. NOW, I completely know the importance of prayer. I also realize NOW just how much of a good example they set for me.

After that discussion, I remembered this...that I had tucked away in a folder here at home.



It was a brief essay, written by my grandfather, about what prayer has done and meant in his life. We're not really sure when it was written; however, right after he passed away, his wife (my grandfather remarried after my grandmother passed away) found it strategically placed in a rolltop desk. It was with some funeral directions. So, we do know he clearly meant for us to find it.

Though short and "simply" written, it is SO meaningful for me to read now. Here are a few excerpts.

On February 15, 1941, I was drafted into the U.S. Army. I was joined up with the 35th Infantry Division at Little Rock, AR. We went through much training and I thought things were going well....On December 7, Pearl Harbor was bombed -- that put me in a different line of thinking. Now, the United States was at war with Japan and in a few days at war with Germany. In April, 1944, we sailed the Atlantic Ocean to England -- the invasion [D-Day] took place on June 6, 1944 and within a few days, we were on French soil. The going was slow and rough and our mail from home was slow coming through. My wife, Nina, wrote to me everyday. Sometimes, we did not see mail for a week at a time -- then we got a bunch of it at one time.

My father and mother did not have much schooling in their days. I had a sister at home at that time, and she did the writing for them. I remember when we were in Belgium, the going was rough and slow. I was laying in my muddy hole all discouraged. I just thought how I wanted to go home to my wife. About that time our mailman came crawling and handed me a bunch of letters.....

I found one from my dad wrote by himself. It was all in his handwriting. It was very short and here is what he wrote, "How are you -- I am praying for you." Signed -- Dad.

That letter did something to me. "That my dad was praying for me." It gave me great courage. It seemed that everything went better. The war soon ended, and I got home in October, 1945.....

Sometimes, I get down and discouraged. Then this prayer of my dad's comes to me and help me onward again.

So, let's pray for each other, so we can inherit that heavenly home someday.

When my grandfather was still alive, especially in the last couple of years of his life, I spent a fair amount of time talking with him. After my grandmother passed away in January, 2001, I called my grandfather on the phone EACH DAY!

That is one thing I DO NOT regret in my life -- taking the time out of my busy schedule to call him each day. I was traveling quite a bit then (with my job), but I called him no matter where I was or what time zone I was in.

My grandfather was not famous. My grandfather lived a simple life in Central Kansas. He worked hard and honestly. He wasn't a real educated man. But, he was a great husband to my grandmother....a great father to my mom and her brother....and most of all (at least in my world), a wonderful grandfather to myself, my brother, and my two cousins.

But, unbeknownst to him at the time, he has indeed left a legacy for me to follow. He taught me a lot about God, the Bible, and prayer. He listened to me and what was going on in my life.

Grandparents are often known for spoiling their grandkids with things, baby-sitting grandkids when the parents need some time alone, etc. etc. etc.

My grandfather and grandmother didn't spoil us with things. They did take us in whenever we wanted to come over and stay. But, most of all, they taught us about God.

That's what I hope I can teach my children and hopefully someday, my grandchildren :)

So....Happy Birthday and Happy Veterans' Day Grandpa! I miss you a lot, but I will see you heaven someday!!!! Then, we can talk again -- just like we did when you were still here on earth with us.

I will sing of the Lord's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. Psalm 89:1

Veterans' Day Parade....

This past Saturday, November 7, Marc, Luke, and I met my parents and Luke's cousins for the Wichita Veterans Day Parade.

We'd never been to a Veterans' Day Parade before. But, we know it's E.X.T.R.E.M.E.L.Y. important to honor veterans, and we really want to teach Luke just that.

I know that wars and military action in general can sometimes be controversial, BUT the bottom line is that our military men and women MUST be honored. They have sacrificed A LOT for the freedoms we have in this country.

I know that Marc and I are extremely grateful for our veterans and their service to our country. We pray Luke sees that in us and that he grows up to thank veterans as well.

Marc, Luke, and I arrived at the parade early. It was a gorgeous November day -- definitely above average here in Kansas. It was soooo nice that Luke was able to wear his flag t-shirt that he originally had on the 4th of July. Fortunately, last summer, it was big on him. Therefore, he was still able to wear it. Our friend, Jess, and her mom, Kathy, made this shirt for Cora's Shop.

Here's a pic of Luke -- we only had a few minutes of him in the stroller before he wanted OUT.



After a bit, but before the parade started, my parents and Luke's cousins (Grace & Natalie) arrived. Grace and Natalie's parents (my brother and sister-in-law) had to work, and so, unfortunately, they were unable to join us...Perhaps next year, Joel and Amber????



Luke entertained himself a bit with his Grandpa K. His grandfather typically has a pen in his pocket. Luke ALWAYS wants to play with that pen.



Soon, the parade started....



The "Kansas Patriot Guard" (motorcycles) were in full force in this parade. There were A LOT of motorcycles. Fortunately, Luke (who tends to scare easily) did not at all mind the motorcycle noise or any other normal parade noise, for that matter. No crying from our boy on this day....



One of the neatest things to see was the air force personnel from our Wichita Air Force Base -- McConnell Air Force Base.





It was at this point in the parade where a female air force member (who was in the parade) commented on Luke's shirt. She said, "Oh -- look at that little boy's shirt." What a great compliment to have for Jess and her mom as well as Luke in the American flag shirt!

Next, many of the JROTC students from Wichita were shown marching in the parade. It was neat to see these students!



This parade had an emphasis this year on honoring D-Day veterans since D-Day was 65 years ago this past June. There were some D-Day vets riding on the float.



The Korean War Vets had a float as well! Marc's dad is a Korean War vet, and so we definitely want to honor those guys.



Even the Coast Guard had a bit of a presence -- though obviously the Coast Guard doesn't have a huge presence in our land-locked state. But, I'm glad they were represented. We'll honor them as well.



Luke had not been to a parade since he was about 2 months old. So, even though he's not running after candy yet (which is not all bad), it was SOOOO neat for Marc and me to see Luke really concentrating on the parade -- especially for a parade as important as this.





Eventually, somebody came by with mini flags. He gave Luke a flag. Oh Boy!!! Jackpot!!! He LOVED the flag. We can't wait to teach him more about our flag someday. In the meantime, I did catch a great pic.



After the parade was over, my dad snapped a family shot of us...it's now on the top of this blog as well.



Afterwards, we all went out for pizza. On the way to eating pizza, Luke fell asleep in the carseat. He was all tuckered out.



Specific veterans that we would like to thank and honor for their service publically on this blog are...

1) Marc's Dad, Alvin Friesen -- served in Korea

2) Mel G. -- Soldier we supported when he served in Iraq; we now keep in contact with him since he's returned.

3) Jeremy R. -- Husband of a former co-workers of mine; Served in Iraq

4) Jerry S. -- Former coworker of Marc's who served in Vietnam

We know our veterans list could go on and on....So, we'll thank ALL veterans for your sacrifice and service to this country!

Please don't think of this Wednesday, the 11th, as just another day. I realize banks, the post office, and other government offices are closed. It's not just another day. Take time to honor veterans!

Halloween....

Well, it's better late than never, but here are just a couple of Halloween pics from this year.

But first, let me explain.

For those of you who know Marc well, you know that he is a HUGE Texas Longhorns fan. Nope, we're not from Texas, and nope, neither one of us went to college there. But, he likes the Longhorns. I'll let you ask him why :)

Needless to say, Luke has already been put in some TX Longhorns paraphernalia.

Awhile back (I think in June), I was at this consignment sale in Wichita. I found a TX Longhorns football jersey and pants. It was BRAND NEW -- in fact, the tags were still on them.

So, I purchased the outfit for $14 -- way cheaper than if we'd bought them new from the university or a sports shop.

When we were trying to figure out what Luke should be for Halloween (without spending a lot of money or requiring sewing on my part -- I DO NOT sew), Marc suggested, of course, a Texas Longhorns football player. After all, we had the outfit. And, it's not like we were going to do any major Trick-or-Treating -- since Luke has decided to postpone his walking abilities even more :)

So, here is our little guy....VERY CUTE I might say.



Marc actually had to work Halloween morning (one of the few Saturdays he works throughout the year). After work, he went and did a little clothes shopping for himself. He came home with a Texas Longhorns T-Shirt -- which he claims he bought because he needed to get to a certain expenditure amount to qualify for a discount he had.

So, I snapped this photo of the two of them together. Actually, this is my new favorite photo of my guys.



And, just for kicks -- here's a photo of Luke from last year's Halloween. He was only three months old, but he was a big 3-month old. He was a Taekwondo kid.



So, if you wish to leave comments about the TX Longhorns (I'm talking about all of you KU and KSU fans), please leave them for Marc -- not for me.