News from September 2008 Tuesday, September 30, 2008, 8:30 p.m. We had a wonderful day of celebrating Micah's, Isabel's, and Victoria's birthday. We were joined by over 80 friends and family who came to rejoice with us in the blessing of our children. We felt so loved and supported. Thank you to all who came and to those of you who sent kind messages. We are so thankful for the people whom God has placed in our lives and the blessing that is to our whole family. I also wanted to update you about Micah's school and therapy services. We got off to a rough start. It was not clear how his school program would go this year and who would be implementing it. Micah needs to have a one-on-one aid in the classroom and his learning is all hands-on. It takes a special person to be able to care for his needs and have a heart for helping him. We have a wonderful aid named Betty who is truly an answer to prayer. She is so sweet and compassionate. She is hard-working, teachable, and makes sure she does everything right. She is not afraid or nervous, and is truly learning to love and appreciate Micah the way that all who truly know him do. His teachers, therapists, and specialists, along with administrators, are all working hard to make sure that Micah gets all that he needs. What a blessing. We also have had extra appointments for Micah the last two weeks. He was sized for a neck brace that we should get in the next week. This will hold his head up completely, so when he is at school or when we are working at home on using his hands or vision, he doesn't have to work on holding his head too. He had an ultra sound on his kidneys and bladder last Friday to see if we could determine what the discharge in his urine is. We are still waiting to hear from the specialist. He also got a larger mickey port for his g-tube, adjustments to his wheelchair, and evaluation for bigger seating options and wheelchair. He is a growing boy and outwardly looks so strong and healthy. We have a phone appointment on Friday with a new dietician for the Ketogenic diet. Hopefully we will get the help we need to make adjustment and lower the ratio of his diet. Over all, the last month has been amazing for Micah. He has been alert and responsive on a daily basis. We almost daily see smiles and some times a little coo or laugh. His vision seems to be improving, and we see him respond to things he would have never noticed before. He also really seems to enjoy the stimulation of the other children and the environment that school offers. There have been some sweet interactions between him and his classmates this past week that is so touching to see. We praise God for all the good days and know that the more difficult days will come, and we will choose to praise God all our days. Monday, September 8, 2008, 11:00 a.m. Micah turned 4 years old on Friday, September 5. We praise the Lord for his amazing life and every day that God has blessed us with him. In reflecting back on the last 4 years and the 3 birthdays of Micah's life, I realize we are at a very different place this year. His 1st birthday was a time of rejoicing that we still had our special little boy. At the time we were told that he would not live to be a year old. This was a landmark moment, so we quietly celebrated and rejoiced as a family, but he was still fragile and we were still unsure of how to respond. On his 2nd birthday, he was sick and needed to have surgery for the placement of his feeding tube. So in the meantime, he had an NG-tube down his nose for feeding. He was miserable, and we once again had a fragile little boy. His 3rd birthday was a time of great transition. On his 3rd birthday, all the services for therapy he had been receiving would transfer to the school district. It was a time of great change and apprehension that our infant like son was now being forced to go to preschool. But now on his 4th birthday, we are compelled to celebrate. He is healthy overall. We have seen so much improvement with response and awareness. He likes being played with more roughly, and we are not as consumed with a fragile baby. Even though we know that can all change in a moment, we rejoice in the miraculous life that God has given. Micah is doing so well compared to most MPEI children, and we are always humbled by that fact. But we know that is the work of our gracious Heavenly Father, and we are so thankful. So we will celebrate this momentous occasion with a party. We invite all to join us Saturday, September 20th 12:00 - 2:30 p.m. at the Southampton Park on Panorama We will be celebrating the birthdays of Micah (4), Isabel (6), and Victoria (15) That’s right; they were all born in September. RSVP to me at patchinfamily@newharborchurch.com Also, Kelly will be coming home on Tuesday from a 3 week trip to Sweden, Denmark and Germany. We are looking forward to having him home, more than I can say. We all miss him so much. But we have done well overall, and I know that God is using Kelly to serve there and also preparing his heart for service when he comes home and back to ministering here. His sabbatical will continue through the 15th of September. You can pray for safe travels for him and that the last few days of his sabbatical will be good family time and that God will continue to prepare his heart and mind to get back to work. We praise God for your faithfulness to us.