Count it all Joy

The last few weeks have been filled with so many emotions !

Three weeks ago I was cramming for my finals for level4...so completely beaten up by Nursing school at this point.Just wanting the end...We had a trip planned to go to MO and see AJ and Stephanie marry. I was so excited to see them and get away.  Isaia had been sick for a few days, by Sunday night He was not improving. So we made a trip to the ER in the midst of all the new Virus precautions. Navigating white tents and secluded rooms, he had a gnarly ear Infection and we were in and out under an hour.Thankful to get out of there quickly. By Tuesday, Nursing school finals were done and packing was on the agenda. Wed, Isaia looked awful,felt awful. We were not going to be able to fly today 😥Flight moved to Fri. By Fri, restrictions were coming down everywhere and painfully we did not fly out to MO. We were all in tears...I don't think I have cried so much in 24 hours… this one broke my mama heart.💔

I have clung to these verses since that day:

Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.

John 16:20 ESV

By Saturday, They ended up moving the wedding a day ahead and having a small ceremony with a few friends and family.❤️

The JOY is that they are married and we couldn't be happier for them.

Count it all Joy !

Technology !! What a blessing it can be .

We were able to watch the ceremony at home and it made the distance so much easier to bear❤️

We look forward to celebrating together at a different time.

We are sad at Missing being present. 

We are sad about not seeing the few friends and family that were there.

We are sad about not meeting so many people whom have become family to our boy. 

But our sadness turns to Joy as we have gained a Daughter-in- Love.💞

Welcome to the Family, Stephanie❤️

Happy 2 Weeks of Marriage 💞

Happy New Years 2020

Working on  New Year's Cards and I didn't order enough,...so some of you dear friends might find one in your mailbox, but to all the rest.... Know you are precious and loved and we are so thankful to journey through this life with each of you . Much Love, Jerry, Tammy,Katie,Sarah, Isaia, AJ and  Stephanie (Soon to be Hollaway)💞 2020 appears to be filled with many new things for our family, So much to take in, but excited for the journey. ...For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.Jer29:11 #hollawayfamtime #ajandstephwedding #2020 #mommightgraduatethisyearLordwilling  #wemightbemoving #jerrywantstobewhereitswarmer #notsurehowitisallgoingtohappen #walkinfaith #greatthingsarecoming #HISplansarealwaysthebest #blessedlife

Farewell and Thank you 2019

I have thought about this blog for months; actually a few years.... It has been in the back of my mind and I have yearned for time to just sit and write what's on my heart.  I started pre-requisites in 2016 and it seems that is the time when this special corner of my world was put on pause.

Life has continuously changed for us through the past few years. The Lord has navigated us through many highs and lows.  I am thankful to look back and see how far we have come. It is not the time to fill in the gaps, but to just be in awe of the progress.

2019 is nearing its end and with it is a year filled with struggles and victories, joys and sadness, moments that have caused me to question what I am doing and moments where the only way to move forward is to close my eyes and walk in Faith.

Currently, the house is in an array. Christmas is still lingering around. We have soaked up days of just being together. Playing games, watching movies, staying in our jammies all day. Not even opening the gate to the world.  It has been such a gift to just be home together. (Minus the big boy, who is off on his own adventures the past 2 years) Saying "no" to fun things because they would take us out of the house was easy this time. In the past, I have felt the urge to squeeze as much as possible into our breaks.  It's late and kids should be asleep but we are still in the moments of free time which will end in just a few days. The boundaries will go back into place and the schedule will remind us of our coming and goings. But for now, we just enjoy the Selah, pause... I have clung to that word often this year. Reflecting on what has happened, been said. As the year ends, what a perfect time to do just that.

A year in review: 
January 2019: I, Tammy, began my first quarter at TCC-Tacoma Community College- as a Nursing Student. It was a bit scary and also exciting to embark on this new journey at 45. 
Jerry had a spinal ablation in Dec which seemed to help his lower back pain, for the first time in years. We are hopeful this will bring newness to him.
A.J. marked 1 year away in Missouri.  He is working at SOAR and working towards his dream of becoming a Missionary Pilot.
Katie is working on her Early Childhood Degree at Bates Technical College. She is also teaching a preschool class at the homeschool co-op. She really is great with the younger kiddos.
Sarah and Isaia are doing well, adjusting to the new routine with Mom gone more. We are still homeschooling, and busy with co-op and swim team.
February brought SNOW !! Days of snow.  I don't remember having so much snow since I have lived here in WA.  It was so pretty. I think by the end we were all ready to see it melt away. I loved that we could put on snowshoes and trek right outside our door. The kids loved the fun that comes with the white stuff.  It made for more chores for me..hahaha....clearing roofs of cars, sheds and even the driveway. (Thankful for friends who came to help with the last one.)
March- AJ has met a gal in Missouri. Her name is Stephanie. They seem to have a lot in common and boy does she make him smile.
Jerry was an auctioneer for the Equest Auction. I enjoyed seeing him out and doing something that brought joy to him.  It was good for both of us to see him in action.
Sarah went to swing dancing at Burwell. She loved it.
April - 2nd qrtr of nursing school begins. We get to see AJ for a weekend, thanks to his buddy getting married here in WA.  We will take each moment we get.
Jerry has been doing PT and that was helpful.  He has begun to have some strange neuro issues so PT will have to pause.
May - We have had wonderful spring weather. Trying to enjoy any break in studying I get to soak up the sunshine. Enjoyed kayaking for Mother's Day. Memorial day was fun at the Carroll's.

Summer-

Spent with friends and doing activities close to home... Weather wasn't superb... Didn't even have many days out on the kayaks.. 

Fall-2019

I started 3rd qrtr of Nursing school. Isaia begins 6th grade,Sarah 10th and Katie is taking on more of the homeschooling as Nuraing school intensifies.

Jerry is working on projects in his shop.. This summer he rebuilt the riding mower and it was helpful for maintaining the yard,but also for giving him a fun mode of transportation around the property.

AJ and Stephanie came home for Thanksgiving. What a Joy to finally meet her.  He sure loves her...

While they were here he took her up in the mountains and proposed to her.  We are excited to have her Join the family.

 

Thank You

**I started this entry in July...Summer Quarter has taken all my free moments !!!

First and foremost, we come to you with grateful hearts for the way you extended Love and support to us as we trusted the Lord to provide for Isaia's Speech Therapy camp. We were able to meet all the needs for camp, hotel,gas and food. We could not have done that without your support and the Lord's promptings. It was a little uncomfortable to ask and yet it was so humbling to know that we have such an amazing team behind us through so many ups and downs these past few years.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you !!!

It has been nearly a month since we left for Speech Therapy Camp. It was an amazing experience and we are continuing to see the results each day. It was a very intense program. He had speech for 4 hours every afternoon. He worked with two incredible Dr's and a wonderful Grad student named Erin. We have learned so much about apraxia and ways to help Isaia work through his sounds. He gained so much confidence and met some great friends. We were given a phonics program to use at home that they used during camp. It has really been a bridge to open him to the word world!!
One of the most memorable comments he made to me was on the way to camp one day..he said"Mom, I really like my new friends here at camp because they all talk a little different, but no one laughs and says stuff like some kids do back home" I asked what he meant and he told me how lots of times, kids tell him he is talking a foreign language and laugh about it, he says it's ok but it's nice to not feel different. My mama heart was sad to hear that,but also grateful he was able to open up and share with me. I always fight back the concerns as he goes out with kids, wondering how difficult it will be for him to communicate and when he will reach his frustration and just shut down. Some days it's hard when he wants to say something and he tries and tries and we just don't get it. Camp Candoo gave him so much encouragement to keep trying, speak slow and also some new ways to make sounds more clear. We are so thankful we were able to experience this camp.

The week before camp was rushed with Graduation prep. Our first Homeschool grad,Aaron-AJ. I am very thankful for the other moms who really were the brain behind the ceremony. We have home-schooled since he was Kindergarten age, until this year when he went to Olympic College for Running Start. It has been a wonderful season,stretching and learning together as a family. We are so proud of the young man he has grown into. He is working through the summer and then headed off to Bible School in the fall for a gap year program, and then work on earning his pilots license.At this point he would like to be a missionary pilot one day, we will see where the Lord takes him :-)

We arrived home from camp as the older kids were returning from our church youth camp, the Friday of Fourth of July weekend. We spent the weekend at a slow pace. Just being back together again. The past three weeks had been a whirlwind.

On Tuesday after the 4th, I started school at Olympic College and so it has just not slowed down. I am taking a full load and realizing how stretched I can or can not be. Algebra 2 has brought me to a new level of studying,(and frustration) it has been 25 years since I did math on this level, but summer quarter has no mercy with 4 hour night classes and only 6 weeks to squeeze it in. SO, you just gotta do what you gotta do !!
 Kids are trying to help out around the house more and Katie has taken on much of the meal prep and planning which has been a great help to me. So thankful for her heart and love for cooking ! She is also babysitting a couple mornings a week which has been fun for her.

All this to say , I am working on Thank you notes,and with everything else they are a work in progress.

Jerry had a great eval at our last visit to the Spinal Cord Injury Unit at the VA. His walking continues to improve. He was fitted for some new types of orthotic -like products that are being made to help with his gait. I am working on a progress video I will share soon. ( when I find some extra time). He has came so far this past year, I am so proud of how hard he has worked. The road ahead is still long but the progress each day gives us hope and reminds us how far we have came.

Summer for Sarah is busy with swim team and swim meets. She is loving it and it keeps us on the go.She received a scholarship and will be attending a sailing camp in the Harbor this summer.She is pretty excited for that opportunity.

Just wanted to give an update on life here and let you all know how Blessed we are by each of you. Stay encouraged friends, seek Joy today.


Much Love to you all,
Tammy,Jerry,AJ, Katie, Sarah and Isaia

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Here we are

Dear family and friends,

We hope this finds you all well. We want to Thank You for being so supportive of our family,especially this last year.

We went to see the Chief Neurologist for Jerry's 1 year follow up last week... He looked at Jerry sitting in his wheel chair and said he heard he was walking some. Jerry told him he is walking more and more at home. The Dr. Looked at his MRI and stated that looking at it, he was quite surprised to hear that ! Jerry told him the Lord is giving him his strength and can do mighty works. We trust there are bigger plans ahead.

We left there reminded of all that the Lord has done this past year and what a miracle it is to see him walking more and more. Praise the Lord.

This fall, Isaia, our 8 year old finally got a diagnosis for his extensive speech disorder. He has CAS- Childhood Apraxia of Speech. It is deeper than just articulation, more -motor skills and neurological-training his brain to help his muscles move the correct way. He works so hard at it. This past year we have not been able to put in his full time speech therapy;with all the time given to therapy for Dad. He has been at a point lately where he is beginning to shut down when he has to talk to grown ups or even kids his own age whom do not know him well. This little guy is filled with great thoughts and ideas and our biggest fear is that he would shutdown and not share his beautiful mind with others.

We learned of a special camp just for kids with CAS in Spokane. (This is a good 5-6 hour drive) It is offered through WSU/EWU Health Science centers-Camp Candoo.They accept 6 students through the age of 8. We sent a video and applied to the program and quickly received notice that Isaia was a perfect candidate and could take the last spot. We have been super excited for this opportunity for him. He will have one on one therapy and they have parent sessions to help us work with him more. Jerry and I are looking forward to this opportunity to learn new tools alongside of Isaia.
The camp is two weeks in length , running from June 20-30. We are working on lodging and waiting to hear back from insurance on how much they will cover.

This is the purpose of this note, we have tried to trust the Lord for every need this past year and He always meets us where we are and provides for things as they come up. As we seek the Lord in this , we have felt that we are to share this need with you .

Here is our basics these days: Jerry is now receiving Social Security Disability and his military retirement.We are beyond thankful for these funds. We are able to pay the mortgage, all our insurances, phone,power, tithes and medical bills,and that leaves about 400 a month left for gas and groceries and anything else. Gas seems to be a big expense with all the appointments we have for Jerry still, at least 2-3 a week. We are working on getting our mortgage redone, and Possibly selling the truck. I am planning to start Olympic College in July and depending on financial aid, might have a little funds for transportation. Many Things are pending in the next month or so.

Right now ,we are really stretched and honestly could use some financial support to get our little man to this program. The camp cost 900 dollars and we are hopeful the insurance will cover 50% at least. The gas and lodging (I have found a hotel for 70$ a night and still looking for other possibilities) to get there and back and leaving food for the older kids and packing food for us to take. I know the Lord saved that last spot for Isaia and I trust it all to come together.

We are hoping you can pray with us for the provisions to be met however the Lord declares. We have been trying to make this work but have come to a place where we feel like we need to share our needs. If you are able to help in any way we would be so appreciative and thankful.

Thank you for being vital in our family's life this year, We are so grateful for your Love and care of us.

All our love,Humbly
The Hollaway's
Jerry, Tammy, AJ, Katie, Sarah and Isaia

PO Box 637
Lakebay,WA. 98349

Isaia loves history, his favorite time periods are the Revolutionary War and World War II.

He spends a lot of time re-enacting battles with his soldiers, legos or even drawing out battles.

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Spring brings many new things our way

May came in with a beautiful,sunshiny display. The temperatures are rising and it feels so nice to be dry and warm outside at the same time !

The warmer days of spring have been so good for Jerry. His thermometer in his body still doesn't quite work. Usually he is always cold, kinda like me. Usually he does not like the warmer weather, unlike me !

The cold seems to increase his spasms in his body, so having warm weather has been a blessing. It has encouraged him to get outside most days. Now, we just have to remind him to not overheat. His body doesnt't sweat, crazy nerves !!

He works in his shop and has been doing little projects around the house as well. He is walking more, I catch him wobbling to his shop when he doesn't want to use his cane. (Though he is getting so much better ) Seeking his independence !! I really need to find him a more personalized cane for his spry age. If you see something that would be fitting, let me know ;-)

He is still doing Physical and Occupational therapy two times a week. We have changed his days to Mon/Wed for the most part so he can come to the Y with us on Tues/Thurs eve. That keeps him pretty active with exercising 4 days a week and has helped keep him up and going most of the rest of the time as well. He is building up his strength on the bike and a few weeks ago he actually floated in the pool. Which seems like such a simple thing,but for some reason with his nerves his buoyancy has been off. Every new accomplishment is a huge victory ! I am so proud of him and how hard he has worked with therapy and not giving up. He still has lots of nerve weakness throughout his hands and lower body. We are hopeful that with time this will all return. Knowing that our timing is not God's timing is the key to all of this !

For those of you whom have not seen him in a while, he stopped shaving in Sept !! It was hard to hold a razor and I guess you could say he didn't trust me with the razor ??? I have a few pics....

 

In April we went back up to Seattle VA and he went through Driver's Rehab. He passed his cognitive and his drive test and is back behind the wheel, officially. He is mostly building up his endurance for it now. Between his meds and his back pain , those are the two things keeping him from any big excursions so far.He does the drive to Church now, and has been driving at least one way to therapy in Bremerton. It's been a lot easier budgeting gas for one vehicle anyways ;-)

Meanwhile, the rest of the family is staying busy and keeping Dad on the move.

In Feb, Jerry's daughter, Rhiannon, whom lives in Connecticut, gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. The first Grandbaby... Miss Lena. It is lovely seeing Rhi as a mama.

A.J. Is in his last quarter of Running Start- a dual credit program for High School. After beginning this Homeschool journey 13 years ago,he will be graduating in June.

Katie is staying busy with her studies as a sophomore, getting into some photography, and making her paper flower bouquets...and she helps out so much with meal prep when I'm on the road.

Sarah is usually tucked away in a book and is on swim team this past year and loving it.

Isaia has really hit a spot in his speech therapy that had us looking for new ideas. This winter he was diagnosed with CAS- Childhood Apraxia of Speech. This has opened a whole new world to us with working with him and seeking new ways to help him communicate better. If you know him, he has lots of grand things to share. Our biggest desire now is that he doesn't get frustrated and stop talking when he is not understood.We just received word that he has been accepted into a camp this summer at WSU in Spokane just for kids with Apraxia. We are still learning all the details but are very excited for this opportunity.

New seasons mean changes, and for me that means something new too. I am going to go back to school. We have talked about it for years and have decided this is a perfect time. Jerry is going to do more of the homeschooling and I will be working on my pre-reqs this fall for applying to Nursing School at Olympic College. I am really excited and looking forward to whatever is ahead.I am sad to step away from homeschooling the kids but looking forward to being able to help the family out in a new way.

Jerry goes back in to the neurosurgeon mid May to discuss his lower back. It has been so hard watching him struggle with this back pain for so long. Not sure what is the best thing for treating him but praying for wisdom as we seek more info.Please pray for comfort from the pain, He is tired of taking meds and would love relief.

Mostly we just want to share progress and continued thankfulness to all of you for coming alongside of us during this past year and a half . Your love and prayers mean so much to us.

Blessings~Tammy,Jerry and family

 

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2016 ~ How it began

 

I finally have a load of words floating around in my head again...this is one of two blog post coming out just to update you all. We sure Love you all. Thanks for following along :-)

Here it is May and life keeps us going in so many directions. Mostly , moving forward. That's the goal, to finish each chapter well. Somedays , I have to remind myself over and over, that this story isn't over yet.

This winter brought us all through a season of discouragement. I will be honest with you and say that it was one of the hardest couple of months I have ever journeyed. We were blessed by many during the holiday season and reminded of how much the Lord loves us and has surrounded us with such amazing support.

January brought me through the unjoyfulness of kidney stones, to say that they were bothersome is an understatement. I spent weeks, 3 to be exact,comforted by heat packs and consuming enormous amounts of water and pain meds. It gave me a new perspective on Jerry's consistent back pain, which to this day seems to be a non-stop battle for him.

Jerry was realizing that it had been a year since he stopped working. That in itself was discouraging,but then to see that physically his body was worse in functioning than Jan 2015 was defeating to him. A year later, his lower back injury is still bringing intense pain, but he also has the dealings of spinal cord injury to add to it. There are moments when you can see the "woe is me" and it can suck you into this dark place where life is simply a moment to moment struggle. We both know there is Hope. HOPE is the Light in those dark moments. Our HOPE is in the Lord. HE is omnipresent. He is steadfast. He is orchestrating every good and difficult part of our story. HE is waiting on us to call out to Him. Like any loving parent is. I am thankful for His arms that rescue us with Love and Grace overflowing.

I spiraled downward in Jan and Feb, myself. The weariness of the last year became heavy on me. The reality of what was ahead was not what I wanted. The dreams we have had and looked forward to all have to be changed, I was overloaded with responsibilities. I did not like the 'new normal'.

I was yearning for the normal I used to know. Wanting my hard working man to just walk in the door from a long day of work so I could be his biggest fan and welcome him home to a nice meal and restful evening. Those days are gone, for now. The winter in the NW, cold, wet, gray and gloomy had welcomed the mood of sedentary, unmotivated life in him. While I just felt lost to myself. I came to a place where I was tending to the needs of 5 people whom I love, trying to make school days productive, pouring out what little energy I still had in me. I felt like I didn't know who I was, Tammy. Not wife or mom, just me this girl from a map dot in Louisiana. Wondering what it was that I even liked anymore. What color made me happy or food do I like. But even feeling all these things, I felt guilty for even thinking about me !! Although, I just wanted to curl up in a dark corner and just be alone...let me tell you.. In a 700 sq ft house with 5 other people, THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE :).The weariness was so heavy but the Lord is strong and HE does prevail.

Those two months brought me to a new place of trusting the Lord and his plans. I had to fight to get my JOY back, to even desire to seek joy again. Yes, that's how I felt. But I didn't do it alone, friends stayed close, they let me have those hard moments but were ready with prayers as life preservers to pull me out as soon as I went too deep. I hope if you are struggling through a dark time you have friends who can be that lifeline between you and the Lord to carry you out. IF NOT, message me, call me..I will pray with you.

Jerry and I both had to get real, find TRUTH in the hard days that we were walking through. Not to be ashamed of things being hard, but to admit that it's not easy right now and we can sure use some encouragement and a helping hand to see the Light of the Lord shining through.

To be reminded of all the good and glorious things that have happened in the last year. Sometimes, it's just redirecting our eyes. It seems so easy but it's an action that takes willpower to fully achieve.

We both had a weekend where we were apart and trusting God to move our hearts back to a place where they could be filled up again and revived. My weekend consisted of a women's retreat. Surrounded closely by women whom were life speaking and loving. The speaker started the night off with this phrase "Your story isn't over..." And an activity that was about "Discovering who you are again". In those first hours of the weekend my heart began to beat again, knowing that this was all part of this great journey we are on and going through another difficult time is really okay; as it too, can bring glory to the Lord. He allows us to overcome and come out stronger on the other side of each and every circumstance. Great is thy Faithfulness.

Jerry, also, had a filling weekend. He was able to share His Story at a Men's breakfast. The Lord's plans laid out perfectly, and he shared the great things and the hard things. he was surrounded by men to lift and encourage him. We both came away from that time apart renewed and ready to move forward again. I am truly greatful for the experience, though I hope to not repeat that, Lord willing.

We covet your continued prayers as we move forward in our story each day. Thank you for being beside us on this journey.

We are blessed and so thankful for each of you.

If you really need a prayer partner please leave a comment, I would be honored to pray for you in whatever is going on in your life ~ Tammy

 

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