Our Updates
IT's Freezin for a Reason Time again! This year will be a cold one so we are hoping against all odds that the event can go on and be safe! Even if it is unsafe, what a Party it will be anyway! Tents with heaters and food with friends, is the perfect way to start your NEW YEAR and all for a great cause. This event has been held every year in spite of our family leavng the best place on earth to get better care for our kids. We knew we were leaving a very special place as my sister had been there for years and then my brother put a dock out there and we finally, were blessed with this gorgous home which we would pull into the driveway and I would say more often than not, I can't believe we live here! Our home a colonial style house and just a very warm house where our family was born and grew as did our love for one another.
Our backyard with the swingset and the barn where Buster our horse once lived and the dock across the road next to the best bunch of neighbors anyone could ever ask for. All around us we had such giving and helpful people who turned into our friends. Cousins would stop in and punch the garage code to get Pa Pa's pop out of his little refrigerator and make a quike dash to his candy stash where he keep little bars, each kind, a grandchild's favorite. Fall was always so fun with hayride behind the tractor taking trick or treaters all around. Christmas my favorite time of year because it is a celebration of Christ birth and the rooms would fill with family and friends and laughter would penatrate the walls of that house. I loved to decorate it for Christmas with candles in each window and wreath that light up over the door and white lights outlined our home. Summer was something we all treasured as it meant a lot of friends over for swimming and boating with lunches and dinners.
This place has every holiday covered with such great family events and this one is the dearest to our hearts because it is a fundraiser that benefits our family directly and this wonderful home town of ours, never forgot us and continued to do this year after year and have blessed us in so many ways. Yes, the money helps in a major way as without it, we could not keep on private insurance and if you read our veiws on Heath Care you will see why that is so important. They have allowed us to continue to find the best care and pay the astonishing bills we started to get after all three were diagnosed and needed transplants. God spared us from that at the time and now they are on IVIG or IGG when we can get the insurance to pay as well as neupogen injections. We have been able to stay away from bone marrow transplants which carry a very high risk, much higher than anyone with any type of cancer or leukemia.
Our family has had a rough year, my husband lost his job and has had a difficult time finding another, though we believe God has answered our prayers on that. I have been sick for three years, really before I came out here but didn't want anyone to know. My dad was sick and the kids all needed me so I pushed on until God said no more. I became very ill with C-Diff infection as did the entire family. We don't know if I carried it to them or one of them gave it to me. Either way, my car accident which occured when Samuel was only two, had caused great damage in my neck and shouldres all through my hands. It turns out, I have a lot of syndromes going on with my ligements which I likley have damage from years of gymnastics. I also have degenertive spine disease the entire length which is what my father had. My back is that of someone 20 years older. This has been a big set back as taking care of three sick kids was bad enough now I have an immune disease as well as a spine disease. I am unable to do things that I love and must pace myself.
The kids all became ill and Jake just never has fully recovered. It didn't help that the new Cobra insurance rejected at home IGG but would pay for IVIG in the hospital which is much higher cost and we had a nesty rock slide here in the mountains and it takes two addtional hours to drive.
We had to move in the middle of the worst time of all of us being ill and the entire thing was a horrible nightmare but we could not be happier to be out of that house. We are in a gorgous place and surrounded by othe believers and the change has been nice. It is a furnished home so we put our things in storage.
We have a lot we are preparing for in this coming year, another move, maybe two moves, looking forward to getting Jake back to normal and making certain that he is. Checking out other places due to potential moves but we will remain in Ohio and make trips unless or until we find an equally level of good care.
We went through a horrible period of great strain when we were all ill and having to move without a job or money, it is hard to find places that will rent to that situation but God provided. Honestly, if Chris had not ben home, we couldn't have done it. The home we left was a large nice home but that makes no ifference to us, our home is our hearts and being together, we will always have that no matter where we go. We would love to settle down in one place but right now, that isn't in His plan or our hands. We trust Him and if nothing is raised, it is the emotional support of our old home town and church that keep us up and going. It is knowing God has your back and so many caling or writting and sending encouraging emails. The church that gathers together in the middle of a crisis when we were having to move, all praying with us, maybe others out there understand, it is having someone say, hey, we know your having it hard and yeah, it seems that maybe what our lives will be like but were here for you and your family and we have your best intrest at heart. Just little encouragments go so far. I friend from grandschool, offering us to stay with them, others offering the same. Making sure we had food and Christmas for the kids. Then plain miracles where something that may seem so small to another, can put a smile on our sick son! Fact is, they are all still here and while they have been sick and we have been isolated, were still strong in Him!
Thanks to everyone for anything at all. For reading this, for prayers sent and things done. Our families all of them, thank you all and all our wonderful friends, thanks for never giving up on us. We love all of you and would do anything to help anyone of you, just call!
1 Corinthians 10:13-There hath no temptation taken you but such is common to man: but God is faithful and will not suffer you to become tempted above that ye are able: but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
We do want to offer our thanks to all those who have been lifting us up in this time and we ask you continue to lift the children, Chris and I up and we believe He will heal us and is calling us to rest and reflect what He has shown us. We could not bear all we do without prayers sent up to our Lord for He put us here to encourage and help one another. Thank you to my dear sweet friends who have always stuck by us and we are not an easy family to know, we come with a lot of need but also with a lot to give and love.
The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation!
Just continue to lift Jake, Samuel and myself up as we are all very sick. Pray for Chris as he has been ill and is worn down from all the work being left mostly on him. Grace is so far better and we pray she stays that way. It is hard on all of them, moving and being so ill. They and I are so tired and we know having so much stress and dealing with the house move has caused us to not be able to fully take care of ourselves. So we look forward to getting better. We may need to take them to Ohio and would have it it wasn't for this going on. We are working hard to just get the school work they MUST do done each day and this has been very hard.
We have praises to report as we have a place to stay!
We want to take a moment to thank all those prayer warriors, brothers and sisters in Him for their love for us. So many who write to encourage and uplift without ever growing tired of our numerous never ending needs. You are the greatest gifts we ever recieve besides His Love. You seek Him out and the words He gives you help in so many ways. We feel those prayers and we need those who are mature in their walk to understand that we have faith and are broken before Him.
In Him, Vickie, Chris, Jake, Grace and Samuel
If enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you for it. Proverbs 26:21-22
The Cox family