Happy New Year

Happy new year! We had a wonderful holiday season and are off to a great year. Greg set a record in 2007 with NO HOSPITALIZATIONS! That is quite the change from 7 stays in the hospital in 2006.

We began our year with a vacation in Hawaii that we have been planning for a long time. We thought we may have to cancel when we learned that Greg would need treatment again, but the timing was perfect as God's timing always is.

We are here in Maui until Sunday, January 13. Today we went whale watching. What an experience! We saw many, many sitings. They put a great show on for us. Tomorrow is relaxing on the beach. We are here with our friends, Mark, Kathy, Andrew and Matthew. It is great to be here with our own personal tour guides.

When we return from vacation, Rhonda will begin a new position at the church, full time, with benefits! Another answer to prayer. Kindra and Kyle will head back to college and Tyler will continue his job at the church. He will begin classes at COD, the same college as Kyle.

On Feb. 4, Greg will begin proton radiation treatments in Bloomington Indiana at Midwest Proton Radiation Institute, MPRI. He will have treatments twice a day for about 8 weeks. Two years ago he received the same treatment on a tumor about the size of a hot dog in his spine. That area has not grown. Because this treatment is very precise and controlled, he is able to receive it again for this new area of growth. Again, another answer to prayer.

In May of this year, it will mark 9 years we have battled cancer. It is a milestone of many mixed emotions. We continue to live the battle to best of our abitlities as a family. We celebrate life and live it to the fullest, not knowing what may come around the next curve. We go through the valleys with great friends, armed prayer warriors and holding on to the promise that God has a plan, a future and a hope for us. He is good, when life seems hard. God is good - All the time!

That is the update. Be blessed and thanks for taking the time to keep in touch. Mostly thanks for continued prayers. Please keep Greg in your prayers, the pain is always there, but he just keeps going. We had a wonderful day as a family. We are truly blessed by God's grace and mercy.