Merry Christmas Family & Friends!

What a truly wonderful time of year--celebrating the birth of Jesus which happens to be the best gift ever given. 

Jason and I got back from Duke earlier this week.  Jason's appointment went just fine and the doctor is impressed with how well Jason is doing.  He has been off treatment for 19 weeks and the MRI was "rock solid stable" as the doctor put it.  Do you know how awesome this is?  Do you know what an awesome God we have?  Many of you have wondered whatever happened with the PET scan issue.  Well, the ins. company never approved it but the doctor did say to us that he really believes that had Jason gotten the PET scan back in Aug. that it would've came back "cold" (inactive/dead cancer cells).  The reason he feels this is because if it would've been "hot" the MRI would have changed by now.  I must say that this is one of the next best gifts ever!

If any of you are in the area this weekend, Taylor invites you to come out to Messiah Lutheran Church to see the musical "The Best Christmas Present Ever".  Show times are Saturday, Dec 12 @ 7:00PM and Sunday, Dec 13 @ 9:30AM or 11:00AM.  The kids have worked so hard over the last couple of months to bring this amazing show to the community.  They would love to have you come out and see & hear all about "The good news"!

Our family wants to say thank you for all of your prayers and support these last couple of years!  It has meant the world to us.

We wish you a very Merry CHRISTmas!  Jason, Joslyn, Taylor & Easton

A long time--be sure to scroll down b/c I added some new pics

Well I know it has been a while since our last post, but life just gets in the way sometimes:)

Things in the Krenzke household are going great. Taylor is loving 1st grade and is reading like a champ! I am so amazed to watch her reading books now (not just memorized from me reading it to her but actually reading the words)--it's so cool. Taylor has been busy with rehearsals for her first ever play--she is in the play "The Best Christmas Present Ever" and it will be at our church on Dec. 12 and 13th. She is in the chorus (which happens to be the main part of the show) and has a solo towards the end of the play that will absolutely touch your heart (I have to admit, I get tears in my eyes every time she sings it--she's wonderful).

Easton is liking preschool and has a couple of new buddies. It's nice seeing him find friends (sister is like a social butterfly). He has been skating once a week for the last few weeks and is getting better by the minute (at least that is what I'm told--I haven't seen him because he usually goes with Grandpa or daddy). I can't wait to see him out on the ice! He starts hockey again in January. He, too, is going to be in the Christmas play but just for one song at the end of the play with all the Sunday schoolers.

Jason is back in the swing of things with school and teaching. He is feeling fabulous and has been off treatment for 16 weeks now! He heads back to Duke the beginning of December and we're hoping that will be our last trip there for a while. He's up North right now trying to get himself a deer--he would really like some venison. Baseball is just around the corner--he'll have clinics starting up in February and I'm sure it'll be here before we know it.

I have been busy with the kiddos, work, and getting myself ready to go back to school for nursing--yes, I said I'm going back to school and I.am.so.excited! This has been something that has been on my mind for a couple of years since going on my first mission trip to Haiti. The time seems to be right for me to do it, and I will start a couple of classes in January. It's interesting, everytime I tell someone that I'm going to go back to school to become a nurse, they say "you'll be good at that". I sure hope everyone is right:)

Blessings to everyone and I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Joslyn

Praise God and know that He is still in the business of miracles! Jason had a MRI today and my untrained eye believes that it looked stable. This made it 9 weeks since his last treatment and he is feeling awesome.

Well, Jason wasn't able to get the PET scan done yesterday because our insurance company denied the pre-authorization. However, the docs are pretty confident that they will get it approved through our insurance company and he will get the scan done in Midland (hoping this happens in the next couple of weeks). You know, all the politics and stuff!

Meanwhile, Jason has decided to stop treatment (chemo and Avastin) for the time being. He is feeling really well and just wants to take a break. If he can get the PET scan done in the next couple of weeks, it will help him decide whether or not he will start taking the Avastin again. We do know that the chemotherapy portion of his treatment is done for sure. The chemo is the part that makes Jason feel sick and fatigued for a few days afterwards. Right now, the plan is to take the next 4 weeks off for sure and wait to see if the PET scan gets approved.

We know that stopping treatment right now may seem a bit scary to some of you but this is something that both Jason and I are very comfortable with. Jason's MRI looks really good compared to this time last year and this is the best he has felt this entire time.

It has definitely been a while since the last post but this is good because it means all things are going well with Jason. He goes to Duke Aug. 10th for his first PET scan and that will help determine if the cancer cells are active or inactive. It will be one year since his progression and we are so thankful for the treatment that he has been on for the past year because it has held the cancer at bay.

We went to Florida in June with all of Jason's family and we had a great time. The kids loved Magic Kingdom and the waterslide & lazy river at the resort we stayed at.

I can't believe that it is already the middle of July--the summer always goes so fast. We head up North for a week in August and then off to Duke for a couple of days. I will post as soon as I can with Jason's updates in Aug. Have a wonderful summer. Jos

Looking Good

Dr. appt went just fine. All is stable with the MRI and the docs are pleased with how well Jason is feeling. We come back Aug. 10th to have his PET scan done and will determine course of action then. Otherwise, treatment every 3 weeks as usual. God is good all the time and all the time God is good!

The baseball team, unfortunately, lost to Mt. Pleasant in district finals this past Saturday. So another season is finished. Just have to start getting ready for next season.

Taylor and Easton continue to grow like weeds and they get smarter and funnier and more challenging every day. Parenthood is priceless! Blessings to all, Joslyn

Boy, has it been a while since I posted anything. This means things are going well and time has been zipping by. We have been busy this month. Regular season baseball is officially over and they are 20-7. They start tournament play on Tuesday. They play Freeland at Alma at 4:00. Good luck boys!

Taylor has been in Tee ball this spring and she is doing well. It's sometimes very hard to just sit and not saying anything when your daughter is dancing, singing, laying on the ground or whatever it is that she maybe doing when she supposed to be ready for the ball. Oh, the absolute joys of watching 5 & 6 year olds. No really, they are a lot of fun to watch and they are funny. Taylor has a few more games left.

Jason has been feeling great. We head to Duke for his doctor's appointment on June 1st. So, his MRI is set for May 27th and hopefully all is wonderful with the scan. Keep us in your prayers. Thanks and blessings to all of you, Joslyn

Easton's birthday

Well, it's been a while since I last posted. Things are going just fine in the Krenzke household. We had Easton's birthday party today, and he seemed to really enjoy himself. He turns 4 tomorrow.

Taylor is now in Teeball. Her first game is Saturday, May 2nd. I guess she really makes some great comments out on the field and it's only been practices. I can only imagine what will be said or done during games.

Baseball is in full swing. The Creek are 8-3 for the season and they open up with conference play on Monday. You can get updated by going to the following link: http://www.hometeamsonline.com/teams/?u=CREEKBASEBALL&s=baseball&t=c

Max Yatch is recovering very well. He was able to make it out to the ball game last weekend to watch. Jason and Max's teammates were very, very happy to see him.

Bullock Creek is playing at the Dow Diamond on Sunday, May 3 at 2:00 against Troy-Anthens. Tickets will be $5 a piece and kids 5 and under get in free. The proceeds from the ticket sales will go to the Yatch family. Please make every effort to come out to the game and support the Creek and the Yatch family.

Blessings to everyone, Joslyn

Season opener

Well the season officially starts today with the Creek playing Midland High. Jason is so excited about this season--he seems to be feeling much better this year and has a much clearer mind. Jason had another treatment yesterday--not sure what number that is (lost track)--so he woke up to his typically nausea. It's amazing how we can tell you exactly what's going to happen the days after treatment--it's like clockwork.

Max is doing extremely well--here was an update from earlier this week:
"WOW! We just saw Max yesterday (Sat.) and you wouldn't believe how well he is doing. :) He is getting therapy nearly 8 hours/day-every day, but we did see him on a couple of his breaks. Here's what's going on:
He had his trach plugged off for 24 hours so they are thinking that they will remove it very soon. He's talking-softly because of the trach, but he's definitely talking in a few word sentences! He talked to Paul on the phone. Not only can he get himself in and out of his wheelchair, but yesterday, he walked 400 feet! By himself! They are starting to feed him more and more through his mouth, with soft foods like applesauce and puddings. They need to make sure that after he swallows the food, it goes to his stomach and not his lungs (?) so when they are sure everything is working ok there, they will continue to add more and more. He is writing...he is adding/subtracting...he plays catch with George...he throws a ball up and has it come 2 inches from the ceiling, every time. As far as I can tell, he's using both arms/hands equally and normally. George said they have a driver's training area on site so Max will drive before he comes home. His expressions are the same...he still has that sheepish little grin."

The baseball team is going to be playing at Dow Diamond on Sunday, May 3rd at 2:00. This is the same day as the Miles for Max fundraiser. We are hoping to raise more money at the game for Max's family as well. It should be a great time. I will post more details as they become available.

Blessings for your day, Joslyn

Miles for Max Fundraiser Event

Miles for Max is a fundraiser race for Max Yatch. He is a junior at Bullock Creek High School who was critically injured in a car accident in February

Sunday, May 3, 2009
11:00 - 2:00
5k walk/run starts at 11:00 from Bullock Creek Middle School ending at Bullock Creek High School

Kids only event 1 mile walk starts at 11:45 from the Bullock Creek Middle School

For more information, contact:
Jennifer Kreucher Email:bballjen44@yahoo.com Phone:989-835-9739

update on Max

Date: Thursday, March 19, 2009, 10:26 PM
Max had a good day..he was "high fiving" his doctors and shaking their hands. Also, they asked him if he wanted to go for a ride in his wheelchair and he shook his head "yes". He also sat up in bed, with his legs over the side of the bed, feet on the floor...no support. This made him cough....in response to this, Max spit on the floor. This is good!!! (Oh...Max was moved to Mary Freebed in Grand Rapids, on Monday.)

Continue to keep Max in your prayers as this is going to be a long road to recovery, but praise God for all that He has already done for this young man.

Do you sometimes struggle with knowing what the purpose of your life is? What your supposed to be doing? Why you feel so depressed? Why you can't be joyful?

I struggle with these things. I often feel like I'm missing the purpose in life and don't feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. I battle with depression regularly and am usually trying to figure out why I can't be joyful and happy. I think this will come as a surprise for most of you. I can put on a pretty good front--not that I'm trying to be deceitful but trying desperately to will myself to have joy. The problem is it doesn't matter how hard I try, I can't do it by myself.

You see, before knowing Christ, I always felt like I was missing something. There was a void that I couldn't fill, no matter what I tried. Now that I have Christ in my life--it's different. I have felt complete at times, and I have felt true joy. I still don't have these things all the time, but I sure hope to reach that point. What I have figured out is that the answers to my questions above feel answered when I'm in close relationship with God. Through the last few years, I have had times where I have felt extremely close to God and then there have been times when I have felt very distant from God. Depending on where that relationship is determines how complete I feel. I've discovered that God really is the only way to fill that void that I think all of us have. I want that close relationship with God. I need that close relationship with God. I want my void to be filled. I need my void to be filled.

So, I guess the next question is am I willing to do what it takes to have that relationship with God? Am I willing to take that next step? Joslyn

The season is underway

Baseball has officially started. It's rather amazing to me that it's time for baseball already. Jason is very excited about the season starting--it just stinks that he has treatment tomorrow because he will definitely be exhausted for his first week of practices. But you know what, we will take it because he's doing and feeling great.

We got his results back from Duke for the MRI he had last week and they said it is once again stable. Jason is to continue with the treatment schedule that he's been on, get another MRI in 6 weeks and head to Duke in 12 weeks. Life is good right now and we thank God for that!!! Joslyn

Immediate prayers needed

Immediate prayers are needed for one of Jason's baseball players--Max. He was in an auto accident this morning and he is in critical condition. He was airflighted to Convenant. I don't know any other details right now but please lift Max and his family up to God right now. Thank you. Joslyn

10th treatment

Jason had his 10th treatment this past Wednesday. He's doing well--only one vomiting session on Thursday morning and exhausted as usual. Jason is extremely grateful for how well he handles his treatments. He knows that he is very blessed not to be having the side effects that many people experience while on chemotherapy. He has 8 more treatments until it has been one year since beginning this treatment cycle. 30 weeks past and only 22 remaining! Blessings to all.

Hockey

Not much new to report on the health end of things--Jason is feeling well and he has a week and a half until his next treatment.

The kids are doing great. Each day is a joy to be with them. They are definitely a handful but really good kids. They have been in hockey for about 5 weeks now and I cannot believe how much they have improved in this short period of time. Taylor no longer complains about it being "hockey practice" and seems to be enjoying it. She didn't want to be in hockey practice, she wanted to be in figuring skating, however, for my sanity of not having to run around all week long to the ice rink, we chose to put Taylor and Easton together in hockey and then they both could learn to skate. Well, Taylor always said that she was going to "skating lessons" and Easton always said he was going to "hockey practice" even though is was the same thing. She no longer corrects us when we say hockey which is a good thing. We do have a deal with her though that if she likes skating and wants to continue with it she can do figure skating like her cousin Tana in the next session. Taylor is all about the music, the costumes, and the performance--she'll love it.

As for Easton, he is a bit of a challenge on the ice sometimes. Easton wants to be the best at everything and he can't stand it when someone is better than him. I have to tell you, Easton is a very good skater for being 3 years old, and I'm not just saying that because he's my son. He is just a natural born athlete. He either chooses to be on or off for each practice. Take for example this past week. Saturday they had hockey and my parents came up to watch. Easton would not do anything but stand there stiff as a board on the ice or follow Jason around the ice complaining and whining about how he can't skate, that he keeps falling (he doesn't realize that he just chased his dad around the whole rink and was skating just fine). Jason has a hard time dealing with Easton when he gets like that--he just wants him to stop whining and just start skating. So needless to say, Easton's hockey outing on Saturday was probably one of his worst performances thus far. Then, at Wednesday night's practice, Easton had his best performance so far. He did awesome. He's the youngest kid out there, yet he was doing all the drills that the other kids were doing, following directions, and yes skating very well. You could tell that he was having such a great time and when he came off the ice, he was so proud of himself. That's a much better Easton to deal with then his grumpy self! It was funny, he said to Jason before practice that day, "I don't want to skate faster than you, I just want to skate as fast as you!" You gotta love it.

Blessings on your day! Joslyn

Stable

Well, Dr. Reardon said the MRI looks good and stable. The plan is to continue with his treatments as usual and we don't have to come back to Duke for 18 weeks. We will still send them his MRIs every 6 weeks but we really didn't want Jason to miss any baseball. The doc was fine with that since Jason is doing so well. In August, Jason will have a PET scan done. That will show if there is any "active cells". MRIs don't show whether or not tumor cells are dying off or not but the PET scan will. They assume since there has not been any growth that the cells are dying off but won't know that for sure until the PET scan. Praising God!

My educated guess

After looking at Jason's MRI last night, I have to say the tumor appears to be stable. There didn't seem to be any changes that I could see. We'll have to wait to hear officially from the doctor on Monday though. God is good! Joslyn

Mixed emotions

It's been a while since I have really written much. Not that I haven't wanted to write, just not sure what to write--so I didn't write anything.

Today brings mixed emotions for me. Last year on this day, Jason got his very first MRI done. We had no idea about his cancer at this time and he was only getting the MRI done to rule out worst case scenarios at least that is what the doc said. I had actually been telling Jason to suck it up a little--all he was having were some headaches (heck, I have them daily--what's his deal). Can you imagine if he would have listened to me?! I'm so glad that he chose to ignore his wife that time and went with his gut feeling that something wasn't right (keep in mind, Jason thought he had a pinched nerve or something). After the doc ordered the MRI, I had a very yucky feeling from that day until we actually got "the call". Jason and I hadn't said anything to each other about the MRI until the day before we got the call. I looked at Jason when we were driving home from church and asked him the question that I hadn't been able to shake "what if it is a tumor?" Jason just looked at me and said, "it won't be."

On the 21st, Jason called me just as I was walking in the house from dropping Taylor off for preschool. When I saw his phone number show up, I knew the call wasn't going to be a good one. You know those feelings that you get--well that's what I had and as soon as I heard Jason's voice--I knew. He didn't have to say anything further, his voice said it all and that is when our lives flipped upside down.

So fast forward a year, and here we are on the 19th of January again and Jason is getting another MRI. I have been a bit anxious all day and suppose I won't really feel calm until we hear what the doctors at Duke say next Monday. So, now instead of waiting to hear that everything is just fine, we wait to hear whether the cancer is shrinking, stable, or progressing. The hardest part is the "not knowing" part. So the waiting begins--please pray for my nerves to be calm, my mind to have peace, and my heart to have comfort during this next week.

Blessings, Joslyn

Some more

Some pics from Christmas

Can you believe that 2008 is gone? It went by so fast, yet at times, it felt like an eternity. I will admit, I am not sad to see 2008 gone. It was a year of pain, hopelessness, and sadness. Yet, it was also a year to grow in my faith, to be challenged, and to somehow find hope again. With the passing of 2008 comes also another milestone for us--we are coming up on a year of Jason discovering his cancer--January 19th. Thinking back to this time last year, who would have ever imagined that our family's world would have been turn upside down and rocked in all ways. When we first discovered Jason's illness, I didn't know how in the world I was going to make it through the next day let alone an entire year. Yet, somehow I managed. I can only give credit to God in all of this--He definitely carried me most of the way. Although, I must say, it has been truly awesome to see all the love and support from all of you as well. You all made each day somehow bareable. So I say thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping to bring me to a new year. Do I know what 2009 has in store for us--absolutely not. However, I do know that God with be my strength through whatever comes our way. Wishing you all a wonderful New Year and may God bless you abundantly! Joslyn