THE GRAVLEYS

First Sleepover

2009-11-21T11:48:00.003-05:00

Sam and Will had their first official sleepover. It started out at Will's house with a Scooby Doo Christmas movie and then they came over here in their PJs to play Hide and Seek and Leapsters before bed. They had a GREAT time. Hopefully, there will be lots more to come! =)

Getting Bigger

2009-11-21T11:38:00.004-05:00

My little girl is growing up. Even though she is thoroughly in the midst of the 'terrible twos' we are still having a lot of fun dressing up and doing her hair and nails. Here's some recent pictures of my beautiful girl.

Sam Sam the Money-Making Man

2009-10-10T00:01:00.005-04:00

Samuel has been earning money for the past several months in order to purchase a new portion of his favorite toy, his Geo-Trax. He is very focused on buying the airplane and remote control that comes with it. We have decided, with the advice of my mom, to capitalize on this desire and give him new chores and responsibilities around the house in order to earn it for himself. I have been amazed at what he is able to do. I'm sure we pay him way too much for these chores, but this is no cheap toy. It will take him until he's 15 to earn the money =) unless we pay him well. He unloads the dishwasher, laying everything on the counter for me to put away. He does the silverware minus the sharp knives. When it's time to load it up again, he puts in the soap and presses the button (these, I think, are his favorite parts of the dishwasher job). Sometimes I give him the job of "babysitting" Kara while I take a shower. Of course, he loves this one because he gets to be the boss! My mom has also been employing him to help with small chores in her bedroom. He gets paid a quarter to stack Pappy's formula and briefs in the closet bins. HOWEVER, I have been most recently amazed by his ability to do this.......

Buckle your seatbealts, everyone, this boy is FOLDING LAUNDRY!!!!!!

YAHOOOOOOO!!!! He's up to 14 dollars and something now. I can't wait for the day when we take all of the quarters and go to make our big purchase!! =) Great job, Buddy!!

Milkshake Contest

2009-10-09T23:40:00.008-04:00

We don't often have friends over to visit. The kids make it a little harder as well as traveling every weekend when most people are off work and available to visit. Tonight, though, we invited a couple over to get to know them better. Andrea and I were friends in elementary school, actually. We have seen each other a few times over the years, but just since we moved home to Bellefonte, I have seen her a little more...mostly from attending the same Bible Study for Moms. We've also become friends on Facebook, so when I saw her status the other night (she reported she had just made the best peanut butter milkshake ever), I commented that Travis makes pretty good p. butter milkshakes too. We thought it would be the perfect time to set up a milkshake making contest after having dinner together =) It was great to meet Andrea's husband, Kevin, and spend some time getting to know their family. Samuel and Kara had a great time with their children, Kate and Christopher. We played puzzles and trains, watched Curious George and had the long-awaited "MILKSHAKE MAKING CONTEST"!! And the winner is........

(after blindfolding Sam for a taste test - wish I'd gotten a picture of that and getting Kate to taste both shakes - she wouldn't wear a blindfold....)

..............

ANDREA!!!!

I guess congratulations are in order, since we heckled you guys all night about who would make the best shake! It must be because you bought the ice cream (unfair advantage) =) heehee

Thanks, Kevin and Andrea, for a really fun night!

Bathtime

2009-10-09T23:35:00.004-04:00

Since Kara's hair is getting longer, we're having some fun with it in the bathtub. Take a look...

After we did this, we let her see herself in the mirror. Now everytime we wash her hair, she wants to look in the mirror. We're having so much fun with her, especially now that she's getting a little bigger and can do more things. She and Sam are beginning to play more and more together. She also lets me do her hair in pigtails and other little hair-dos. It's fun being the mommy of a little girl. She loves to have her nails painted, and she's starting to request certain outfits. OH BOY! Here we go!

Camping with the Fam

2009-10-09T23:24:00.005-04:00

Trav's mom and dad purchased a cabin in the mountains near Lock Haven, PA...which happens to be only about 45 minutes from our house =) We have had some really nice times there already with the family. Here's some pictures of our big sleepover with Ninny and Pappop and ALL EIGHT grandkids (the oldest just turned six in August!!). Yeah, it's kind of like a daycare when we're all together....

Pappop trying to maintain some kind of order during the tent set-up. Travis and his brother, Trent, slept out here the second night with 3 of the lunatic children. They couldn't move the next day....guess they're getting old! =)

Kara LOVES bubbles!

The End of Summer

2009-09-02T22:25:00.004-04:00

Yesterday Sam and his cousin Will captured a butterfly. They were VERY excited! I ran upstairs to grab my camera to get some memories. What a wonderful time these two (and Caleb and Kara) have had this summer! Endless hours of running around and around our two houses. We definitely don't have to wonder if Samuel and Kara will remember (when we go to Romania) our home here and their cousins who practically live with us! =) Hope you all enjoyed your summer too. We're LOVING the beautiful cooler weather this week. Just makes me want to run out and buy some mums for the porch =) Happy Back-to-School everybody and Happy Back-to-On-the-Support-Raising-Road for us!

God's Covenant

2009-08-11T23:42:00.002-04:00

And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: ¹³ I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴ Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, ¹⁵ I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. ¹⁶ Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."

hospitality

2009-07-16T15:05:00.003-04:00

Here's a link to a short post I saw on the Girltalk blog (which I LOVE). It has a great view on hospitality, helping me to see that it is a responsibility for all believers. I believe that hospitality can be one of the primary ways to bring others to Christ, by inviting people into your home and showing them first-hand what it is to be a Christian. They can watch you with your kids and with your husband (hopefully, it's a good example you are setting - ha!) and wonder how they can get a home like yours. What they will see is not YOU, but the Spirit of God IN you, and it will be desirous. Hope this makes you think, like it did me, about a way you can be hospitable. Why not start with a neighbor with whom you don't feel that you have much in common besides both of you being mothers? You never know! =) I loved the section that emphasizes that we don't all have the same way of showing hospitality. It will be varied based on "God's varied grace." That takes a lot of the pressure away, knowing that MY way of showing hospitality doesn't have to look like the way others show it. It can be original to me.

Summertime 2009

2009-07-12T14:14:00.004-04:00

I have been very lacking in my updating, so I thought I could make up for it in one post. We continue to travel just about every weekend, raising support for our future ministry in Romania. We are so blessed to have family living nearby and love to celebrate all the birthdays and other holidays with them. Here's just a few pictures showing how the summer is going and how the kids are growing...

We took about a week and dug up new flower beds and planted flowers here at the house where we live with Mom and Dad. It was a lot of work, but it looks SO pretty!

At the end of May we celebrated Kara's birthday....TWO YEARS OLD!! We had a party here in Bellefonte...

You can't see it too well, but I found this cute cake online (just jelly beans for the rainbow and white mini marshmallows for the clouds) =)

...and then one in Mechanicsburg a few days later (with Trav's family).

We found these hats in a missionary closet on our travels! Cute! =)

The Many Faces of Sweet Kara

2009-06-22T18:29:00.003-04:00

Ladies Retreat and Jumping Beans

2009-04-20T21:02:00.003-04:00

This past Friday and Saturday Trav and I had the opportunity to co-speak at a Ladies Retreat in Lancaster. Calvary Baptist Church of Elkins Park, PA brought their ladies to a Christian camp in Lancaster. Travis spoke on Friday evening, and then I spoke twice on Saturday. We used Titus chapter 2, specifically verses 3 through 5 as our main theme. We've never done anything like this before, and Travis joked that it was his first Ladies Retreat. =) Leading up to the weekend, we both spent some pretty late nights preparing, so now we're WHIPPED, but it gave us some great experience to draw from in the future. Travis gave a lot of background to the book of Titus, and then I (using A LOT from the book Feminine Appeal, by Carolyn Mahaney) filled in more practical thoughts and application to us as women. I can see how the Lord is giving me opportunities like this that will help me when we reach Romania. I'm sure these principles will be a HUGE help for the Romanian and Gypsy women. I think we, as Americans, really take for granted the resources that we have at our fingertips for help in areas of Christian living. We can pretty much just jump online and find any books we could possibly need, as well as encouraging Christian music and anything we want to help us along our way. These women in other countries, especially places like Romania, have pretty much only the Word of God to help them. I'm not trying to convey that the Bible is not enough, just simply how much easier it is for us here to receive encouragement along the way. Anyways, though it may not interest you that much that I spoke at a Ladies Retreat, I've been wanting to use this blog for my own self too as a journal of my life and my family's life, so just consider this a little look into my blog/journal =)

As an extra, here's a little video I took the other day of the kids. Sam is teaching Kara how to jump. So funny! I think that jumping must just require a certain level of skill that Kara doesn't quite have yet. My sweet kids: how I love them! =)

My Sweet Kids =)

2009-04-06T21:45:00.003-04:00

Little Red Riding Hood

2009-02-20T14:01:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago, Trav's parents came to visit for the evening. We had dinner and spent some really nice time together. No pressures, just hanging out =) Samuel has been practicing the story of Little Red Riding Hood, and he employed his Ninny and Pappop as actors. Samuel T. Gravley (Little Red Riding Hood), Patricia A. Gravley (Wolf), and Raymond G. Gravley (Grandma) present....THE LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD!

The New Gravleys

2009-01-20T18:13:00.003-05:00

For about the last 2 years, our family has been experiencing some very difficult times with our son, Sam. Those of you who know us well have heard our whining, complaining, and crying. We've mostly tried to contain it just within our family, but recently have been asking more and more people to pray with us concerning his behavior. We have tried SO many different methods, focusing mostly on the biblical ones (I will not be too specific, knowing that really anyone can read something online). Samuel has been disciplined more than any other kid I've ever known. We had our parents, brothers and sisters praying for us and talking to us, giving their advice so sweetly whenever asked. No one could quite figure out why Sam could be so sweet and then his attitude could turn on a dime. It seemed the slightest provocation would send him into huge fits of anger and reduce us to anger and frustration in return. We worked so hard to control our own selves so that our discipline was done in a godly way. We have been so humiliated a multitude of times, especially since beginning deputation and being in a different home each weekend. Everyone we have met has been SO gracious toward us, trying to encourage us in any way they can. We've been begging the Lord for wisdom and trying to gain all the knowledge we can from other parents (old and young). Mostly everyone who has talked with us just encourages us with the same advice..."Be consistent and win the battles; you'll be so glad you conquered it now instead of waiting until he's older." While we appreciated this advice, it seems that no one could put a finger on what was causing the outbursts and what we were doing, as parents, to fuel this poor behavior. We did have some angry times in disciplining him, but I just felt that our consistent pattern of punishing him was calm and calculated, not in great emotion. I felt that as near as possible to 100% of disobedience and defiance was punished in love and firmness.

As we drove to Cleveland this past week for Launch Seminar at our mission agency (Trav and I were by ourselves), I began to read this new book I received from a friend. It is the preschool book from Gary Ezzo (the Babywise/Growing Kids God's Way guy). We came across a chapter called "Addicted to Choice." NEVER IN ALL MY DISCUSSIONS with people have I come across such revealing information about my Samuel. It was AMAZING!!! The chapter describes a boy named Jackson who makes his own choices all morning long (what color cup he'll use, where he'll sit, what he'll play with and when, etc.) When his mom would suggest something like, "Come sit here, and I'll read to you," Jackson would choose to simply sit in a different place. His mother, not wanting to cause a conflict over something so dumb as a place to sit or a cup to drink from, would just go along with Jackson's ideas. When it came time for lunch, however, his mother required him to come to the table and quit playing. Jackson was LIVID! How dare his mother cross him after having his own way all morning. Ezzo explains that children (about 4 years of age - like Sam) CANNOT differentiate between moral and non-moral choices (huge revelation to me!) I had no idea that he saw choosing a cup color the same as coming to the table for lunch or going to bed for a nap! We had so much trouble with Samuel at these times of non-negotiation (naptime, mealtime, going home from a friend's house time, etc.) that we decided to cause as little conflict in negotiable areas (cup color, seat at the table choice, etc.). By doing this, we had created a little boy whose day was, on the whole, directed by himself, not his parents. When it came time for us to exercise our authority over him, he would get angry when we didn't give in. We were doing a great job not giving in at those times, but the rest of the day was Sam's to control. I don't know if you can follow all of this reasoning, but it sure made perfect sense to us. We feel that this is such an answer from the Lord, and we thank Him for showing us mercy and giving us wisdom to find the proper resources to help us.

We have revamped our whole lives and created a schedule for Samuel and Kara for the days when we are home and not on the road. The schedule includes things like roomtime, coloring time, puzzletime, reading together, Bible story time, etc. Though the kids do have some free time during the day to play with whatever they choose, most of the day is planned out and directed by us, the parents. We have had two very good days. The fits are not gone, by any means, but we have been really encouraged to see that they are greatly lessened in intensity. I have so much more to write, but I'll be finished for now. I hope to write an update on this in the next few weeks. I'm looking forward to reporting big improvements in Sam's behavior. Thank you to those who have prayed for us. We are so thankful!

Sam's Version of the Christmas Story

2008-12-20T17:26:00.003-05:00

Thought everyone would enjoy this little story-telling session with Samuel. He has been enjoying telling Bible stories with his little New Testament. Not sure where this one originated. As you can see, he never ceases to crack us up. Enjoy.

Happy Birthday, Sam!

2008-12-17T15:34:00.003-05:00

Today we're celebrating Samuel's 4th birthday. He is the joy and challenge of our lives, all rolled into one.
I want you to know, little buddy, how much I love you. I love kissing your soft cheeks, listening to you sing, watching you pretend with your toys and see you hug your little sister so gently. I hope that you will grow up to be just like your daddy. He's the most wonderful man I know. We pray for you that you will learn to love Jesus with all of your heart and that we will have wisdom to teach you how to do that. You are such a joy to me. Happy birthday!

Heaven

2008-12-09T13:19:00.006-05:00

Every once in a while I ask Samuel a few questions about God or heaven or something spiritual to see if he is really understanding the things we teach him. Here's how our conversation went the other night at bedtime.

Me: Hey, Sammy, let's pretend that mommy doesn't know how to get to heaven and you can tell me. Okay?
Sam: Okay, Mommy. First, you have to die on the cross for a little while. Then you go to heaven....(and eventually he ended with mentioning something about the Wonder Pets??!!) Somehow, I think we have a long way to go! =/

My Wonderful Husband

2008-11-24T21:12:00.007-05:00

This is a recent picture of my wonderful husband, Travis. The afternoon that I took this photo, he was outside for at least 30 minutes, wrestling and playing with Sam, Kara and our nephews while I made dinner. This is a regular occurrence at our house....Travis helping with the children to make it easier for me. This is just one of the reasons that I love him so much.

I've been meaning to post about this for months, so this is a good time for it. In May, soon after Mothers Day, Travis surprised me by taking me to this beautiful bed and breakfast. We had a meeting in a nearby church, drove part way back with the kids to meet my mom for, what I thought, was the afternoon. We would finish the second part of the day alone for the evening service. After we dropped them off, Trav suggested this quaint little town nearby for a cup of tea before we went back for the evening service. As we were walking up the sidewalk, he asked what I would think if we were to stay there for the night and the next day! I was SO surprised, of course. I couldn't believe that he was able to pack MY clothes without me knowing and get them into the van that morning while we were getting ready for church. Wow! The B&B was in New Berlin, PA. We had a beautiful room and a delicious breakfast the next morning. We tried to sleep in, but of course, kept waking up from about 7:00 on. I guess that's the curse of having children! =) Here are some pictures from our time there.

Honey, I just wanted to thank you publicly for the many ways that you love me. You are more than I could ever ask for. I love you. Happy EIGHTH anniversary!

(Maybe our ninth will be on the other side of the world?!) =)

Some recent Pictures

2008-11-21T17:10:00.006-05:00

A Great Perspective

2008-11-05T23:00:00.003-05:00

I spent the day at my cousin Jami's viewing. At the same time I've been thinking about yesterday's election. If you can spare 5 minutes, check out this link....john piper's view on the election. This has been running through my mind all day. It helped me so much with my view of our place in the world in general.

http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/1473_thoughts_on_voting_and_politics/
Make sure you scroll down the page to get to the second video.

My sweet cousin

2008-11-03T19:32:00.003-05:00

Last week my cousin gave birth to her first baby....Jenna Leann. After a planned c-section, Jami was not feeling well at all and the doctor found that she needed a blood transfusion. They gave her 2 units of blood and, though she still did not feel well, at least was able to make it home. She and her husband, Josh, took their new baby home, but last evening (Sunday), Jami fainted at home and was rushed to the hospital. She passed away sometime during that time, and they could not help her at the hospital. She was somewhere around the age of 30 or 31. First, I want to praise the Lord that Jami knew Him as her Savior. The Bible says, "I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." These are the words the Lord used to comfort me so often while my dad was sick in the hospital. I was rocking my little Kara tonight before bed, and those words came rushing back to my mind. I have been so concerned for my aunt and uncle (Jami's parents) and my other cousin, Michelle (Jami's sister), and my heart has just been broken all day for them. I am so glad that God promises He will never leave us or forsake us, that we can cast all our care on Him, because He cares for us.
I wanted to show you a picture of my sweet cousin, Jami. She is pictured here with my dad and my Uncle Jack (another of our uncles).

I have always had a special relationship with Jami and Michelle. The three of us are so close in age. I have tons of memories of playing and getting in trouble at Grandma and Grandpa Slye's house. We played the penny game on the stairs guessing which hand the penny was in and moving up a step for every right answer =) (I know, boring...but there wasn't much to do!) We broke the bed one day by jumping on it and got in A LOT of trouble for that! We spent a week one summer swimming in their neighbor's pool...such fun! They always had cans of soda in their fridge (who wouldn't like that as a kid?!). As we grew older, Jami and I had lots of stories to share about our classrooms. We had both studied elementary education in college. Jami was a much better teacher than I ever was though! She even won an award for the best student teacher during her senior year at Clarion University! One of my favorite things about Jami was her great sense of humor and the way she told stories. She made me laugh harder than anyone with her storytelling. I can't share the whole thing here (a little on the risque side), but her story about the crockpot made me cry with laughter. A bunch of us cousins stood around the funeral home at my grandma's funeral listening to her many stories to pass the time at the viewing. I'm just so sorry that this week I'll be attending HER viewing.
The last and most important thing I wanted to write about was Jami's love for Christ. Jami married a man named Scott about 9 or 10 years ago. Scott was not a Christian and after a few years of marriage, left Jami, treating her very badly. Through that experience I never once heard Jami speak hatefully about Scott, but rather, turned her attention and focus to her Savior, Jesus Christ. Over the next few years, while going through her divorce, Jami talked so much about how God was meeting her needs and she maintained such a joyful spirit. She continued to come to all the normal family gatherings, only this time by herself. You would never have known the pain she was going through. A few years ago, at a Bible study, Jami met a wonderful Christian man named Josh. The Lord gave her a wonderful gift in Josh...an opportunity to be married again. 10 months ago they found out that they were going to have a baby. As with most pregnancies, everyone was so thrilled that God had given Jami this treasure. Please pray for little Jenna, not even 1 week old and without a mommy.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts. I know things were a little random. The body of Christ is such a gift. We covet your prayers for our family. I, personally, covet your prayers as I try to minister to my family members who are so heart-broken. I would love to hear any promises from Scripture that you would like to share.

Spit Shine

2008-10-27T16:31:00.005-04:00

You may think that Kara's hair is just wet after a bath or something normal like that. HOWEVER, Samuel brought her to me after playing with her in his room. "Look, Mom, I made Kara's hair all brown!" he said. When asked how he did that, he replied, "I used her toothbrush and spit on it, and then I put it on her head to make it all brown." Kinda gross, don't ya think?! =/

My Biggest Fear

2008-09-22T22:53:00.004-04:00

I guess I have a lot of fears. Probably something happening to one of my kids or a close family member is one of the biggest. But the greatest fear I have, by far, is to think that my children will reject the Lord. If I think about it too much, I get very worried. I don't think there's anything I try harder to do than searching for opportunities to fit in something about God. In my conversations with Samuel, I'm always looking for something to say to help him see Jesus. I read a really funny story one time in a parenting book. It told of a mom who was always looking for opportunities to share these great and wonderful truths about God with her son. She was SO excited at this chance she had to go to an Easter play with him. She just KNEW that during this play, they would see Jesus doing miraculous things and showing His great power, and her son would be SURE to ask questions about Jesus, and she would have an awesome chance to share Christ with him in a meaningful way. Just as Jesus was calming the terrible storm, her son leaned over to her to whisper in her ear. She was just SURE that this was HER moment...but instead of asking ANYTHING spiritual, he asked, "Mom, how do they make the water look so real?" She had built up this perfect scenario in her mind, only to be disappointed in the end. This is exactly what happens to me all the time. I know Sam is only 3, but I get myself feeling so sure that we're going to have a really special talk about God, but inevitably it ends up rabbit trailing and becoming a talk about what we're going to have for breakfast the next day or something! =/ As I was reading a friend's post the other day, I was reminded of something that I knew but I needed to start putting into practice. My children's decision to follow/or not follow Christ is fully dependent on the Holy Spirit. Am I trusting them to Him, or am I trying to manufacture this love for God in them? Does anybody else struggle with this? I do the same thing in my friendships with unbelievers. The friendships that I have made for the purpose of being the "light of the world," like we're commanded to be in Matthew 5. But I always end up frustrating myself with my lack of ability to relax and just let it come naturally.

Thoughts About Family

2008-09-11T20:19:00.008-04:00

Trav and I have been talking more frequently about what it will be like when we live in Romania. One of the things we always talk about is what it will be like to live away from our families. We have an incredible blessing that few people have...each member of our families (moms, dads, brothers and sisters and their spouses) have come to know the Lord as their Savior. For our children to have 2 sets of grandparents and all of their aunts and uncles as godly examples to admire and follow makes us so happy and thankful to God. I've been trying to cherish every moment that we have with our families, knowing that very soon, we will be on our own very far away from them. Here's some pictures of our sweet family. I hope this will encourage you to thank the Lord for your own salvation and for the godly heritage that many of you have been given. My only regret is that I would have been more thankful before now...

Travis and his brother, Trent

Suzanne (my brother's wife) and her sweet baby Caleb

Tammy (Trav's sister) and Sam when he was a little punkin'

Jeff (Trav's sister's husband) and his little boy, Daniel

My Mom and Dad

Travis' Dad and Kara

Travis' Mom, Sam and cousin Ella (or Allah, Sam calls her!) =)

My brother, Andy with Dad at rehab

Travis' brother's wife, Traci

Reading to Pappy (last post continued)

2008-08-13T16:24:00.002-04:00

Conversation with Pappy

2008-08-12T14:54:00.009-04:00

Since my dad's brain injury, most of you know, he has been unable to talk. He can say a few words here and there, but for the most part, he doesn't really speak at all. Sometimes on special mornings he'll be in a very alert mood when he wakes up. On those mornings we call to Sam and see if he wants to come in and "talk" with Pappy. This morning's conversation was especially funny.

Side note: When Samuel gets in trouble and has to be disciplined, we've been working on

repeating the entire scenario to be sure the disobedience is corrected the second time around.

Sometimes we'll say, "OK. I'm going to go out of the room and then I'll come in and tell you to

do blah, blah, blah, and you'll say, 'Yes, Mommy/Daddy.'" Then we'll repeat the whole process,

and Sam will answer correctly and obey...well....at least that's the plan =)

So.....this morning when we called him in to talk with Pappy, it went like this...

Sam: Hi, Pappy!

Pappy: Hi.

Sam: Why'd you get up so early today, Pappy?

Pappy: *silence*

Sam: OK! Let's try again, okay?

Pappy: OK

Sam: Hi, Pappy!

Pappy: Hi.

Sam: Why'd you get up so early today, Pappy?

Pappy: *silence*

After a few more times, Samuel decides to do a "retake" (like we do with him).

By this time we're totally cracking up. My poor dad, forced into this never-ending conversation! =)

Sam: OK, Pappy! Let's try again. (in a very instructive, teacher voice) I'm gonna go out of the room and then I'll come back in and you can answer me.

By the time it was over, we convinced him to sit up in Pappy's bed and read him some books. (pictures to come)

Breakfast

2008-08-10T11:30:00.004-04:00

Even though she has a few teeth, Kara still chooses to swallow things whole. You would think a banana would just slide down, but she takes such big bites! So funny!

2008-08-08T16:03:00.005-04:00

OUR FRIENDS, THE SEELYS

I just wanted to write a quick post to our friends, Dan and Karis. Two weeks from yesterday they will be leaving for their first term in Cameroon, Africa. When we moved to Virginia Beach for seminary, Dan and Karis were our first friends. Neither one of us had children, so it was school, work and friends that made up our lives. From the beginning we knew that we would get along great. Travis knew Dan and Karis from college, but not all that well. They were always just one step ahead of us through seminary and then into the process of choosing a mission board and beginning deputation.

Dan and Karis, you are so special to us. Even though we've spent lots of months away from each other since we moved to Pennsylvania, you have always been very close in our hearts. We have prayed for you so much these last months as God has answered your great desire to send you to Cameroon. We admire you and your faithfulness to the Lord and the strength and determination you have shown to make it through long years of seminary away from both of your families. You spent many Christmases alone in Virginia, while we were close enough to travel home for every one. You waited for the pregnancy of your precious Kayla, whom we prayed for. And then the Lord blessed you abundantly with ANOTHER baby! We are so glad to call you our friends. We don't know when we'll see you again, since our furlough schedules will probably not match, so it could be many years. We cherish the times we have had with you as a couple and now the few times we've spent together as families. We love you, DAN, KARIS, KAYLA, and KRISTA! =)

WAIT

2008-07-25T17:20:00.003-04:00

I receive a newsletter for women in ministry. It's called "Reflections from the Fishbowl". In the June issue there was a wonderful poem that I shared with my mom. We really enjoyed it. So maybe you will too.....

WAIT
by Russell Kelfer

Desparately, helplessly, longingly I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate...
and the Master so gently said, "Wait."

"Wait? You say wait?" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers. I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word."

"My future and all to which I relate
Hangs in the balance and you tell me to Wait?"
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign.
Or even a 'no', to which I'll resign.

You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply.

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied again, "Wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
And grumbled to God,
"So I'm waiting...for what?"

He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine....
And He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run."

"I could give all you seek and pleased you would be.
You'd have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint.
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.

You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence are all you can see.
You'd never experience the fullness of love
When the peace of my Spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

The glow of My comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.

You'd never know should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,
But oh, the loss if I lost what I'm doing in you.

So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to truly know me.
And though oft My answers seems terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still..."WAIT".

Cool Museum

2008-07-21T21:56:00.008-04:00

We've been away for the last two weeks doing a couple Vacation Bible Schools. The second week we stayed with a GREAT family...Steve and Elyse Richard and boys (5 of them, actually!) =)
After a busy week at Bible school, they treated us to a really cool museum. I wish we could show here what an awesome place this is. It's called Strong Museum of Play. I've never seen such a cool place! It's located in Rochester, NY. We spent the morning playing together. Samuel couldn't contain himself; he was SO excited. If you ever have a chance to go, it's definitely worth the time and money. THANK YOU, RICHARDS! We had a GREAT week with you (and we're already suffering from the lack of delicious cookies at our house!)

Zach and Zane (twins)

Zach, Zane, Luke and Micah

Sweet Luke

Elyse and little Isaiah

Kara is definitely Daddy's favorite girl!

Everybody hugging Clifford

Lunchtime!

Zach

Zane

Micah

Our Wonderful Friends (Steve and Elyse)

VEGGIE TALES

2008-06-21T21:32:00.004-04:00

Sam's been cracking us up lately with his renditions of Veggie Tales. He's really into "Dave and the Giant Pickle." (a spin off of David and Goliath, in case you couldn't tell from the title) =) Anyway, the other night on the way to Bible School, he was quoting in the back seat something from one of the "Silly Songs with Larry." Bob and Larry are talking in Spanish for some reason and one of them says, "No Comprendo??!!! I'll show YOU no comprendo!" Well, Sam was saying, "No Comfriendo??!! I'll show YOU no comfriendo!" It was hilarious! I have big plans to post a video of Sam playing Dave and Travis playing the Giant Pickle....so stay tuned!

The Best Dads Ever

2008-06-14T22:25:00.004-04:00

Father's Day is tomorrow. I wanted to take a moment and thank the Lord for the 2 best dads in the world. The first one became my father on June 5, 1975. It was his last day of school (he was an elementary school teacher). This was just the beginning of my inconveniencing him. Now that I'm a parent, I realize the sacrifice that it takes to raise a child. I wanted to name a few things that I remember specifically about my childhood and to thank my dad for his sacrifice.

My favorite memory is my dad coming into my room each night to pray with me. Before the seriousness began, he would so often sneak in and "get" me! It was so suspenseful; you never knew quite when he'd come through the door. He'd always call to me through the door that he was coming, and I would squeal with excitement.

In "teeth losing years" my dad would dress up in my mom's robe and a little frilly hat, pull his glasses down on his nose, and ring a little bell announcing his appearance as the Tooth Fairy. "Did somebody here lose a tooth?" he would say in a little squeaky voice. We always got huge sums of money for lost teeth, like a dime or quarter. =)

My dad was my principal in Christian school for all of my elementary school years and was also my kindergarten teacher. Though he made me call him "Mr. Heckathorne" like everyone else, when we passed in the hallway by ourselves sometimes, we'd sneak a little hug and kiss.

As I grew older, in college, Dad would send me little notes in the mail sometimes.

Once, after college, when my boyfriend broke up with me, Dad held me in his arms and told me that God allows hard times to come to make us strong. I'll never forget that hug.

The last time my dad talked to me, he said what he has said thousands of times: "I love you." This was before I left him in the hospital the night before he suffered a cardiac arrest which took his speech from him and left him with a serious brain injury. We've had some very understanding looks between us since then, though, and I'm so glad to know that he still loves me. Now he just tells me with his eyes. I love you too, Daddy.

The other best dad in the world is my husband...Travis Mitchell Gravley. I would not want any other man to be a daddy to my children. I will never understand the love of God for me that He would give me a husband like he has. I have been blessed abundantly more than I deserve. Travis is the most sacrificial person I have ever known. He is constantly serving me and our children. Samuel and Kara love their daddy so much. He plays with them, feeds them, bathes them, and dresses them. There is nothing he refuses to do (even the yuckiest part of potty training that you can imagine!) =) If I ever go away, I am sure that they are being taken care of, just like I would do. I remember one time recently when I went out shopping with my mom. When I returned, Trav had fed the children dinner, played with them all evening, dressed them for bed, cleaned up all the toys, and was just finishing the dishes when I got home. This is just one example of how he takes care of our family. He quietly leads us in loving the Lord with all of our hearts. He disciplines Samuel so patiently, and humbly reminds me to do the same =) There is no little girl that he loves more than his baby Kara. I remember when we learned we were having a girl, Travis immediately said, "What are we gonna do when she's 12?!!" I have absolutely no fear. If my little girl looks for a husband JUST like her daddy, she will have found the greatest treasure!
One of the dearest sacrifices Travis has made for me has been just in the last year. He has agreed to be the main caretaker along side my mom for my own father. I cannot begin to describe my thankfulness. I love you, Travis. You mean more to me than I could ever describe. I am the happiest girl in the world!

Happy Birthday, Kara!

2008-05-26T21:40:00.004-04:00

We had a really nice birthday party on Friday evening for Kara. She turned one! I can hardly believe that she is already one year old. Her Ninny and Papop and cousins Grace and Ella came from Mechanicsburg. My parents were there, of course, since we live with them. Andy and Suz (my bro. and his wife) and their three boys came from next door =), and my aunt and uncle who live nearby were all here for the celebration. I wanted to make her a girly cake, so I talked to a few people and looked online, but I kept coming back to the idea of a flower. Here is my attempt. I was pretty happy with it, but I am just NOT "Becky Home-ecky," so don't get too excited. =) I made the main flower part from a round cake pan, the petals from cupcakes with a little notch cut out of them, and my favorite part....the stem from green finger jello! I was pretty proud of myself for that idea. Even though I'm not very good at baking it's still really fun to make birthday cakes for your kids. I think I'll try to do it every year. We ended up just giving her a little round cake to dig into, cause i just couldn't let her destroy my "masterpiece". Here's some pictures of Kara's special day. I love you, my sweet Kara Suzanne!
P.S. Something very special happened on Kara's birthday. Travis' brother, Trent, called to tell us "Happy Birthday to Kara AND her new little cousin, William Riley Gravley!" Isn't that cool? Cousins born exactly one year apart! We love you, little Will.

A Nursery for Heaven

2008-05-16T11:21:00.003-04:00

First, I want to thank my blogging wife for allowing me this guest appearance on her blog. If you didn't realize it was "her's," take note of the now very feminine blog template. If it were mine, that would never fly.

Anyway, I wanted to pass on something God has been pounding into my thick skull lately. I have been challenged by the book of Deuteronomy to step up and make my home centered on God and His Word. Deuteronomy 6 says,

6And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise

So, first God's Word needs to "be on your heart," then like an overflowing cup, it should flow out of your mouth all throughout the day and night.

I was reminded of this challenge again today as I read this segment of a prayer from Valley of Vision, a book of Puritan prayers (this prayer was posted on challies.com for Mother's Day),

Sanctify and prosper my domestic devotion,
instruction, discipline, example,
that my house may be a nursery for heaven,
my church the garden of the Lord,
enriched with trees of righteousness of thy planting,
for thy glory;

A nursery for heaven -- trees of righteousness -- Wow! What a thought! As we continue day by day participating in these divine institutions (family and church), may we be known as those who knew and loved the Scriptures. May it be ever on our hearts and on our tongues that our children and those under our influence may become trees of righteousness in the garden of the Lord.

IT'S OVER!!!

2008-05-13T23:45:00.006-04:00

Samuel has now completed his potty training....HALLELUJAH!!!!! I really thought his senior year of highschool would be quite embarrassing with having to wear a pull-up. So glad we can put this"behind" us (if you know what I mean....heeheehee) =) Don't ask me for ANY potty

training advice. I have nothing to offer except, for this kid at least, he wasn't ready until he was ready. Last week he began sitting up on the potty (with his pull-up on). I called it "practicing". I noticed that he was always doing his thing while standing up. So....I decided to work on the sitting down part first. He did a great job with it. He would tell me when he had to go, and then I would run him into the bathroom and sit him up on the seat with his pull-up on. He'd do his thing and then I'd clean him up. Crazy, I know, but I was trying everything I could think of. Then on Mother's Day night (I'll spare you the gory details), we caught him in the act and made a big, funny deal out of it, resorting to "potty talk". He thought this was hilarious and jumped right in on it, cracking himself up about it all. The next morning, out of the blue, he asked to go to the potty and for the last twp days.....well....SUCCESS!!!! Tonight at bed time he said, "Mom, when you pray, thank Jesus that I'm not afraid to go poopy in the potty anymore." And so I did, because I really AM thankful!

Samuel - potty training begins (spring 2007)

Samuel - potty training ends - (Spring 2008)

Toothy!

2008-04-28T22:09:00.003-04:00

Kara's been killin' us with this recent face. She loves to feel the new teeth coming in on top with the two teeth on the bottom! HeeHee =)

Daycare Center, PA

2008-04-24T22:18:00.011-04:00

Just a few months ago, Travis and his good buddy, Dan, decided to head to a pastors' conference for a time of refreshement and encouragment. Dan's wife, Karis, and I figured that the week would be a lot more fun away from our husbands if we got together here at our house, so our kids could play. Just before the conference, however, I learned that my sweet friend, Carissa, would also be alone for the week since her husband was heading to the same conference. That is when the mayhem began! I decided to invite BOTH friends to my house along with EVERYONE'S kids. Carissa's blog gives the greatest description of last week. 7 kids ages 3 and under together for 3 days! Please check it out here. Here's some extra pictures from the week. It was absolutely crazy, and I think I am just now recovering, but I would definitely do it all over again for the wonderful privilege of spending time with my awesome friends and getting to know their beautiful children. Because of our plans to serve the Lord in 3 different parts of the world someday (us in Romania, Karis and Dan in Cameroon, and Carissa and Ben here for now), this was a very important time for me. Thank you so much for coming all this way just to be with us. I LOVE YOU, CARISSA and KARIS!

Luke

Kate

Ethan

Kayla

Krista

Kara

Sam

Belly Blowing and Tickle Tickle

2008-04-10T22:09:00.003-04:00

Sam has really been enjoying Kara lately and has been blowing on her belly at diaper changing time. She totally LOVES it! It's so fun to watch them play together. Kara has really started babbling. She loves to make her tongue go in and out. It sounds like, "Tickle, tickle, tickle!" So cute! I'm glad I got some video of it, so I would never forget what it sounds like.

Toothy Grin

2008-04-10T21:56:00.002-04:00

Need Some Extra Sugar??

2008-03-25T21:56:00.002-04:00

Here's a recipe I found just the other day on the side of a cereal box. It so totally grossed me out that I thought I'd share it with some of you other moms whose kids need some more sugar!!

4 cups Lucky Charms cereal
2 cups gumdrops
1/3 cup butter or margarine
6 cups mini marshmallows
colored sprinkles (optional)

Can you imagine??? Yucka! I definitely LOVE candy, but I'm not so sure this would be too yummy....

Family Travels and Fun Times

2008-03-23T20:28:00.005-04:00

I've been forgetting to journal our deputation travels. We wanted to show some pictures of what we've been up to for the last several months. We've met some really great people and had some fun places to stay too! Here's a few pictures of Sam and Kara playing while we've been away on our trips.

We even got to visit the zoo in Delaware. Wasn't a whole lot to see, but there WAS a tiger (the most important to a 3-year-old boy).

We've also been having some fun family nights too! I got Family Fun magazine for Christmas from my sweet mother-in-law (thanks, Ninny!). We found a great craft - Grass Heads!

At first I thought they would never grow, but then after a weekend away, we came home to find them GROWING!!! YAY! Sam was soooo excited.

Last week we colored Easter eggs too. We started out with 12 in the pot to boil. Two of them cracked while boiling, another 4 or so cracked while we were coloring them and a few more while we were decorating them with stickers, so we were left with about 3 pretty eggs...oh well!!

I guess you can't expect much when you're letting your kids help! =) I remember painstakingly decorating eggs when I was a kid, so I was kind of expecting more interest from Samuel. I keep forgetting he's only three. On one egg he took the little white crayon and scribbled about three lines and then plopped it in the color! It came out looking quite plain with a little tiny scribble on it...so beautiful!!

Brother and Sister??

2008-02-19T21:56:00.011-05:00

We're just driving along on our way to a deputation meeting. We’ve been talking about our kids and how similar they look. Kara seems to look so much like Samuel did when he was her age, so I began looking back at some old pictures. When Kara started finding her feet a couple months ago, I remembered the picture of Sam doing the same thing, so I snapped a few pictures of her to compare with his. What do you think??

A sleeping shot . . .

The Wide-Eyed Look . . .

Snuggling Up . . .

Kara and her cousin

2008-01-20T22:16:00.000-05:00

Travis' sister, Tammy, gave birth to a handsome baby boy (Stephen) about 3 weeks after Kara was born. These two had a great time playing at Christmastime. Just wanted to share some pictures! Super cute!

Here's my new favorite picture of Kara. I'm so thankful to the Lord for my beautiful baby girl. What a joy she is to me!

Great is Your Faithfulness

2007-12-31T20:44:00.000-05:00

We are spending the eve of the New Year at home tonight...a pretty good place for a couple with 2 small kids. We remember the days of staying up late, but for now they are far gone =) Now that the kids are in bed, Travis suggested that we think of the ways that God has been faithful to our family this past year. So here is our list. We hope you will praise the Lord with us!

January - Our church's provision of the finances we needed to visit Romania for the first time on a survey trip and our very first deputation meeting.

February - The trial of Becky's dad's illness and the grace He gave and continues to give us.

March - Travis' grandpa turned 90! He is very special to us.

April - Experiencing the beauty of the body of Christ. This was a very busy month for us. Becky's dad was being moved into a rehab and LOTS of people helped us take care of Samuel (Jessica Holland, Knickerbockers, Brenda Holder, Trent and Traci (Trav's brother), Janelle Francis, Pam Husler, Marlene Post, Jen McLeod, and of course Trav's parents). We were also getting ready for the birth of our little Kara!

May - Kara was born on May 23 after Becky spent 12 days in the hospital (we continued to benefit from so many friends who love us...meals, cards, phone calls, visits, babysitting!) What a beautiful new baby girl. We thank the Lord for sparing her life and Becky's throughout the pregnancy and emergency c-section.

June - Dad came home on June 8 after 5 months in 5 hospitals. Our nephew Stephen was born on June 10.

July - Travis ended his job at Analytical Labs. It was a great job for him and met our needs very sufficiently for 2 years. Our home church held a baby shower for Kara and gave so many diapers that we bought our first pack for Kara just this last week! We also took a very fun trip to Lake Tobias with Trent and Traci, Grace and Ella, Trav's brother and family.

August - God provided for us to move to Bellefonte to help with Becky's dad and start full-time deputation. Many of our dear church friends helped us move and Becky's parents allowed us to live in their house rent free. Travis began calling pastors, and God filled our fall deputation schedule in just a couple of weeks.

September - An encouraging visit from our missionary friend Eve a Douglas. She's a great companion for Samuel and stayed with the children one evening so we could go on a date. She also helped so much around the house to begin preparations for putting our house on the market.

October - We had a great month of deputation, making lots of new friends and prayer partners. We received a call from Berean Baptist Church in New Castle, DE, saying that they would like to be a part of our support team. This is our first church besides our sending church...very exciting news!!

November - Thanksgiving celebrations with both families (Heckathornes and Gravleys). We are so thankful for TWO families that love us and support us wholeheartedly. As we contemplate our families we realize we have something that is very uncommon...both sets of parents and all of our siblings love the Lord and are serving Him faithfully. That means that Samuel and Kara will never have to pray for any of their grandparents' or aunts' and uncles' salvation!! What an incredible blessing from the Lord!

December - Samuel turned three and was spared from being seriously injured on his birthday when he swallowed two quarters. We are so thankful for our firstborn. He is the light of our lives.We also had our family picture taken. We want to thank our Father for sending His only Son to be our Savior.

What Rudolph Left

2007-12-26T16:01:00.002-05:00

We left Reindeer Feed (Cheerios) out on Christmas Eve, and Rudolph and his buddies left a trail all the way through the living room and down the steps into the basement. Sam said, "Rudolph left a mess, mess, mess!" He left a new bike with a note that read, "Thanks for the snack." I think we had a bit more fun creating this "reindeer appearance" than Samuel did finding it. =)

The Fun Part of Samuel's Birthday

2007-12-20T12:41:00.000-05:00

We had fun putting this video together to show you the scavenger hunt Samuel had to find his present on the morning of his 3rd birthday. We hope you enjoy it. This was before the "not-so-fun" part. You'll have to excuse the bed heads and pajamas!

The Not-so-fun Part of Samuel's Birthday

2007-12-17T22:27:00.000-05:00

We just wanted to thank the Lord. Today is Samuel's birthday. He turned three. =) It started out as a very fun day, but this afternoon something very scary happened. Sam went down for his nap and had 2 quarters in his pocket. He decided to get them out and put them in his mouth, and I'm sure you can guess what happened. He began to cry and then scream. I thought that he was just being stubborn about going down for his nap, so I was ignoring him. I had no idea that he was in trouble. Travis decided he was going to just check on him and he found him in the hallway crying and crying, saying that he had quarters in his throat. Trav called for me immediately and I called 911. The ambulance came and transported Samuel and me to the emergency room. He was breathing okay, but drooling all over the place. By the time we got into the triage bed he was acting pretty quiet and I thought maybe the quarters had finally slid down into his stomach. Just as I sat down with him and the doctor came over, he got a funny look on his face and proceeded to throw up all over us. Out came BOTH quarters!!! Praise the Lord. He was completely normal and happy after that, and he even said "cheese" when they took the x-ray of his abdomen to make sure everything was out. He thought they were taking his picture =) I just held him in his bed tonight as he went to sleep and cannot thank the Lord enough for protecting my little boy.

Just Regular Life

2007-12-11T15:22:00.000-05:00

On Thanksgiving morning we had breakfast with Andy and Suz and then spent the rest of the day with my mom and dad. Dad was really alert that day, and he was even able to join us at the table. He's on a feeding tube, so he's not able to eat, but he sure was eyeing up the food we were all enjoying. Thanks to Andy and Suz for letting us come over and use your house for our big turkey dinner. It was a really nice day for us.

A couple of weeks ago we went to see Travis' great aunt. She's 93 years old!! Doesn't she look good? She lives in an assisted -living apartment. It's a really nice little place and she has everything she needs right there. Aunt Mary is very special to us. She never had any children of her own, so she has treated us all like her own grandchildren even though we really belong to her brother (Trav's pappy). She's just like all the other grandparents (sending money and cards on your birthday and Christmas). I even lived with her for a couple of months before we got married. She had never met Kara, so we took the children to see her.

Sam is growing up so fast. He'll be three next week. Even though he requires so much energy and prayer, we could never imagine our lives without him. By the way, if you read about him back in the summer destroying our computer keyboard, you'd be surprised that now he plays on the computer using the online games from noggin.com. He doesn't even rip the computer apart while he plays! Here's a funny picture from Sunday afternoon. He had gotten a couple of Happy Meal toys from McDonald's and wanted them to watch him play his computer games. He set them all up and made them "watch" him play.

Samuel is even learning how to play with Kara now without making her cry every time. =)

Our sleeping beauty...

All Dressed Up For Church

2007-11-19T11:27:00.000-05:00

So Many Toys...What Shall I Do??

2007-11-17T17:18:00.000-05:00

Today we were getting ready to head out to Wal-Mart and I was busy, so I asked Samuel to play with Kara. She was a little fussy, and I thought he could help interest her in something. When I finished doing my hair, this is what I found. What a helpful kid! Sometimes he's a little TOO helpful, if you know what I mean! =) I didn't mean for him to get every toy she owns! As you can see, she's very happy with her big brother!

Sam's Excellent Adventure

2007-10-28T16:53:00.000-04:00

Thank you, Shannon Conley!! This is so cool. And VERY easy!! =)

Our Little Punkins

2007-10-27T20:30:00.000-04:00

Fall in Pennsylvania

2007-10-27T20:26:00.000-04:00

I feel like I've missed much of the fall season this year, because of all the traveling we've been doing, but the other night we were home and the sky was BEAUTIFUL!! This is the view from our back porch where we live now (my parents' home). It made me stop and think of how great our God is. Can you imagine the beauty of heaven if this is just a taste of what that will be like?
"O Lord, Our Lord! How majestic is your name in all the earth!"

On the Road

2007-10-27T20:12:00.000-04:00

The last month has been really busy. We've been to a new church every weekend. The kids are handling things pretty well. Our worst Sunday with them was when Samuel busted into the auditorium screaming at the top of his lungs and crying for me. He had escaped from the nursery. We decided to try and take him with us to the front for our testimony, but realized what a bad mistake we made when he began kissing me on the lips right in front of everyone. When he realized it was embarrassing me, then he began LICKING my cheek!!! AAAHHH!! Soon it was my turn to give my part of the testimony, so Travis took him and when he started hitting Trav we finally took him down off the stage. What a disaster! Everyone was very understanding and thankfully the church wasn't big at all, so it wasn't as bad as it could've been.

A few weeks ago we went to a missions conference in Grove City, PA. It was a lot of fun. The people were so kind and we had lots of time to get to know them. We wanted to post some pictures of the place where we stayed in Grove City....an RV that an older couple in the church owned and pulled up to the church for our family to stay in! It was really cool. It gave us the time alone that we needed to deal with the kids and not feel like we were being watched all week. (if you know what I mean) =) It was nice to be back home again after living in a camper with two kids, but I thought it was a great idea for keeping missionaries.

New Family Picture...finally! =)

2007-10-27T20:02:00.000-04:00

Here's our first and only family picture since Kara was born. We found an old barn close by and took this picture by ourselves. Samuel did such a good job smiling at the camera with no one to look at. We went straight to Burger King for chicken nuggets and french fries as a reward and then a LOLLIPOP too!! (Sam calls them Lionpops) =) This is the picture we wanted to include in our new missions presentation, but my shirt came out so bright that Travis wasn't happy with it. We're having a bit of a competition about whether it would be okay or not. What do you think?

Pappy and the Ducks

2007-10-03T22:12:00.000-04:00

We wanted to thank all of you for your prayers for my dad and to show you what he's been up to lately. Before Dad got sick, Samuel had a special game that he loved to play with his Pappy. These little plastic ducks "swim" around and around this pond and make LOTS of noise. When we went to Romania for our survey trip in January, Samuel spent several days with Grammy and Pappy. Even though my parents were both teaching full time, each afternoon when Pappy came home, Samuel would meet him at the door with the duck game saying, "Play duckies, Pappy, play duckies!!" On the bottom of each duck is a colored shape, and my dad taught Sam the colors and shapes while they played. Since his illness, Dad has not been able to play with Samuel really at all. Last week, though, we were able to bring him home to his old house (the place where our family is living now) to visit. When Samuel awoke from his nap, Pappy was HERE!! He was so excited, and we reminded him that there's a very special game that Pappy came home to play....DUCKIES!! We thought it would be nice to show you the pictures we got of Samuel "playing" ducks again with his Pappy and to thank the Lord that my Dad is still with us. He may not be able to truly play with his grandchildren, but at least he can sit on the couch and smile while he watches them. And at least we can sit next to him and hold his hand.

Family Night

2007-10-03T21:24:00.000-04:00

We've recently instituted "Family Night" into the Gravley household. Our inaugural night was last Friday. We played flashlight hide and seek in the complete dark. Samuel wasn't so sure at first, but very soon he was having a blast. Then we moved on to Bible story charades while Mommy fed Kara. A pretty lame idea, I know, but we had to do SOMETHING to keep the activity going. Watching Kara eat wasn't going to cut it =) Next, we moved on to Veggie Tales on Mommy and Daddy's bed on the BIG screen. We hooked up our projector that we use to show our missions presentation and watched on the bedroom wall (all the while eating popsicles ON THE BED!!) We definitely shouldn't have started out the "Family Nights" with so much excitement, because tonight (our second one), all we did is play with play-dough and dominoes on the kitchen table. That's the great thing about a 2 year old. I don't think he really cares WHAT we do, as long as we're paying attention to him. Ever since the first Family Night, he's been asking for another one. We're really attempting to make this a scheduled weekly night for our family. We even write it on the calendar, so it won't get squished out of the way by other stuff. I'm sure that someday our kids won't LOVE it as much as they do now, but we're trying to create some family loyalty while they're very young. Obviously, we're not very creative (hence, the play-dough and domino night), so does anyone have any Family Night ideas for us?

Swimmin' Sam

2007-08-20T20:33:00.000-04:00

At our house in Dillsburg, we had a GREAT backyard. Samuel loved to run around in it and especially swim in his pool. One week I think he swam in his pool every night. He's really cracking us up lately with his expanding vocabulary. If you listen carefully, you'll hear him say, "Somebody stop me!" He really enjoys it when we tell him NOT to do something (in a joking way...like reverse psychology) and then he does it anyway. So in this clip he wanted someone to tell him NOT to slide down the slide, so he could do it anyway and then laugh. I don't know if this makes any sense. Maybe when you watch the clip it will. Whether you get our silly games or not, I hope you enjoyed the video.

Some Family Pictures

2007-08-20T17:30:00.000-04:00

People have told us that a mom, dad, boy and girl are the "Million Dollar Family." We think so too. We've really been enjoying our kids. Sam is crazier than ever and Kara is getting so big! She's just starting to smile. We'll post some pictures of that soon. =) Praise the Lord for His good gifts to us.

HELP!!

2007-07-25T15:55:00.000-04:00

We have the stickers, we have the charts, we have the potty, we have the 2 year old and we definitely have had ENOUGH of the diapers!! Does anyone have any suggestions before we begin? I've tried to look up info on the internet, but everyone wants me to buy their book. Does anyone know of a particular method that's tried and true (sort of like babywise for potty training?) =) And now, for the big question, what do you think about discipline for little boys who know how to go to the potty (especially #2) and just choose not to do it in the potty???? AHHH!!!

Never a Dull Day

2007-07-11T15:29:00.000-04:00

Today was going along so smoothly. Samuel and I were playing and getting ready to go for a haircut. I've had to wet his hair completely to get it to stay down, so I thought it was time.

It was beginning to look like Alfalfa's (all slicked down and plastered to his head). I was expecting one strand in the back to pop up any minute. =)

As we were pulling out of the driveway, I backed up as usual into our neighbor's parking space (the space that I THOUGHT was EMPTY!!) and,lo and behold, I found that it wasn't empty at all. Betty's car was in it's usual spot and I crashed right into it. It kinda goes right along with the year I'm having so far...crazy!! Oh well, Travis says we have good insurance. Praise the Lord for that! Of course, Kara slept right through the whole thing. Samuel was such a good boy and never once opened his mouth until we got to the barber shop. It was there that he told everyone waiting for haircuts that "Mommy crashed into Miss Betty's car!!!" Thanks, Sam.

P.S. I always have some good story about Sam, so here's some recent shots of our beautiful baby Kara. She was very comfy with her daddy last night after dinner resting on his chest.

July 4th

2007-07-11T15:22:00.001-04:00

We visited my brother and his wife for the 4th of July this year. Samuel and his cousins, Will and Micah, had a great time watching the "fireworks." Here's some pictures from the huge event (which consisted of a couple of spinning light up things and some charcoal snakes). When we celebrate, we really go all out! Samuel kept singing, "America, America...asleep on the hay." He's still working on the difference between Christmas and Independence Day. Heehee!

The Brave Hunter

2007-07-11T14:59:00.000-04:00

It's definitely been too hot to open the windows for the last couple of weeks, but we had some really nice, cool weather a couple of weeks ago. Travis was having great difficulty with the fly swatter. He never could seem to hit the flies he was swinging at. We had TONS of them in our apartment, because we had the windows open. One night he was unusually successful and actually hit this poor fly in mid air and sent it flying across the room to it's final doom! Honey, you're such a brave hunter...I'm sooo proud of you =)

Moving

2007-07-03T14:04:00.000-04:00

The boxes are starting to fill the house again! We're heading to Bellefonte, PA the end of this month to assist my mom with the care of my dad. Travis is quitting his job, and full time deputation begins! It's been quite a busy time trying to pack and take care of a newborn and a 2 yr. old! I'm not sure if Samuel is going to make it. He's very tired of having no one to play with, cause his only play mate is always either packing or feeding his little sister! =( Just yesterday he decided to dump his entire plate of chicken and rice on the kitchen floor (which is carpet). And last week, he poured all the milk I had just finished pumping for Kara all over our khaki chair. If we make it through toddlerhood it will be a miracle. (or should I say, if HE makes it through toddlerhood...) Oh well. It will teach him patience at least to have to play by himself. I'm not sure what lessons I'M supposed to be learning from all of his mischief?? Here are some recent pictures of what we've been up to.

On Saturday morning we had eggs and grapefruit for breakfast. Samuel decided he wanted to try the grapefruit after Travis was done with it. First Trav said no and then we decided it would be fun to watch his reaction to such a bitter taste. Well, apparently, he liked it! What a weirdo!

Travis' mom found this awesome toy at a yard sale for a dollar! It's made by Playskool, and I checked it out...they still make it (a new and improved version...$20). It's the coolest toy. You place the balls in the top and they roll down the spout into the bottom where they are shot back up through the tube by air pressure. You have to press the red button on the back to shoot the balls out the top. Samuel has played with it ALL morning.

My friend Kelli encouraged me to take LOTS of pictures of Kara as she was growing so that I could remember how small she was. So this one is just to show you what she's looking like these days. I bet she's close to 7 lbs now!! What a sweetie!

(I know I'm only saying this cause she's not 2 yet!) =)

Ready for a Wife

2007-06-28T09:13:00.000-04:00

For the last few days, I've been letting Samuel help me with the dishes.

He used the sprayer to rinse them and to rinse a few other things (like the counter, the floor and himself!). And just a few days ago he brought me a flower from the plant outside our house.

I was beginning to think that he was just about ready to get married, since he's able to do so many things that wives love (washing dishes, giving flowers), until I thought about the fact that he's still wearing a DIAPER! I'm not sure his wife would go for that! I guess we still have some work to do in the dishes department too, because at the end of the rinsing he started drinking the water from the spoon he had just rinsed.

OH WELL!! We'll have to do a bit more training before the big wedding day! I think we'll start on the "no drinking the water from the rinsed dishes" first, cause I'm just not ready to tackle the diaper yet. Maybe by the time he's 25 we'll have that one accomplished!

I DID IT!!

2007-06-22T14:33:00.000-04:00

This may not seem like much, especially to my pregnant-with- two- other- children -age 2- and-under-who-took-a-4 day-camping-trip-friend Carissa Smith, but I went to the grocery store today with BOTH of my children. I was actually quite proud of myself. I fed Kara at 8:45am and then scrambled around to gather everything up and write my list. I realized as I was making beds that Samuel's bed smelled VERY badly (IF you know what I mean) =) and so I had to change his sheets. I was on a very tight time schedule to get back here before Kara's next feeding at 11:45. At 11:45, however, I was just checking out and still had to load my $150 shopping order and come home to unload the car, get Samuel his lunch and then feed Kara. By 12:00 she was screaming bloody murder. I was trying to stay calm and just move quickly, so the poor baby wouldn't starve to death. Samuel was in charge of holding her pacifier in her mouth, so that I could get him in his chair for lunch, so I could feed her. It was quite a challenge, and I'll try not to make this a regular habit, but I just wanted to see if I could do it. Millions of mothers do it every day...why not me??!! =) By the way, you can check out my very brave friend, Carissa's camping trip here. You are my inspiration, my good buddy ol' pal! I'm actually really enjoying being a mom. It's definitely a challenge, but I'm so grateful to the Lord for the opportunity to influence 2 lives in such a profound way. I love you, Sam and Kara! =)

Little Fingers Make Quick Work

2007-06-19T21:29:00.000-04:00

Aren't these cute little fingers? Well, they weren't so cute to us, today. If you look closely, you'll see that Samuel made quick work of our laptop today while Becky was resting with Kara back in the bedroom. Samuel woke up from his nap around 4:00pm. Becky told him he could go play out in the living room, while she finished resting on the bed with Kara. Samuel seemed to be having a good old time like always, running from one end of the house to the other yelling, singing, and playing. Having a good old time, he certainly was. This is what he was up to.

Our wonderful 2 1/2 year old removed all 86 keys from our laptop and some of the other parts that make a keyboard work. Needless to say, Becky was thrilled with the mechanical abilities our our over-achieving toddler. Actually, she called me with about as good of a cry as she had when pregnant -- pretty bad, huh? I'm guessing she thought I would be a bit livid, but for some reason I took it quite well. Anyway, I'll bet you can guess what I did tonight. That's right. It took about three hours with a little help from my techie partner, Becky.

Miraculously, we got it all back together and, as you can see, it is working perfectly. This ranks right up there with Sam's unloading his poopy diaper all over his crib, coloring on our khaki furniture with his crayons, pulling a big pot of very greasy leftover beef noodle soup out of the fridge and spilling it all over the kitchen floor (which by the way is carpet), etc., etc. He has definitely been sent here to teach us patience. We love you our Tazmanian Devil!!

The Family Keeps Growing

2007-06-16T20:54:00.000-04:00

Well, the Gravley family keeps on expanding. My sister, Tammy, and her husband Jeff were blessed with a third son last Sunday, June 10th. Stephen Allen Jones came into the world weighing 8 lbs. 10 oz. and measuring 22 in. long. Praise the Lord for a safe C-section. Welcome, Stephen. We love you!
Uncle Travis

World's Longest and Most Random Post

2007-06-13T15:22:00.000-04:00

We are so blessed to have 2 wonderful, beautiful children. We thank the Lord for His great blessing to us: Samuel Travis and Kara Suzanne!

We sent Samuel to spend the afternoon and then overnight with Trav's parents (Friday into Saturday) and this is how he came home...with his head all scraped up! I like to pretend I'm really mad about it, since I know it made Trav's mom and dad feel so bad that he got hurt at their house. Actually, Samuel absolutely LOVES to go to Ninny and Pappop's house. He asks about them everyday.
We finally got to bring my dad home (to my brother's house) on Friday, June 8. Samuel and Kara were so happy to see their Mammo and Pappy again. We have missed you so much, mom and dad. We love you and can't wait to be with you again as a family. Thank you all for praying. Please keep praying for my mom and dad (my mom especially) for God's strength to be hers as she cares for my dad everyday. It is an overwhelming task.
The auntie for whom Kara is named: AUNT SUZANNE (or Aunt Uzanne, as sam calls her). She is a very dear sister to me, having dated my brother from the time I was 12 years old. We have so much in common, the best of all being that we both know what a MORON my brother is! =) I love you, Andy, you big nerd.
Travis, Andy and my dad taking a stroll around the house. They had to stop and admire Kara along the way.

I just love it when kids suck their thumbs or variations of it. I know everyone says it's not good for your teeth, but it's so cute! Kara has found her fingers in a few different ways. I thought this one was great! =)

Our neighbor, "Miss Betty," as Samuel affectionately calls her works at a book club and frequently brings us AWESOME books for Samuel. His latest are ones to help him with his recent feat of potty going, which by the way, is NOT HAPPENING! I'm so disgusted, but I won't talk about that right now! Anyways, this has been the absolute favorite of the books she's given us. It's a book that turns into a school bus and also a play mat (with a road on it for pushing your cars around). THANKS MISS BETTY!

A few days ago Kara got her first bath. She didn't even cry. The second picture of her looks so much like the one of Samuel that we used on his birth announcements. A lot of people are saying that they look very much alike.

This is Travis' grandfather holding Kara on Memorial Day. He's 90 years old. He actually said he was too nervous to hold her because she was too small, but then after a minute he decided he'd try it! =) We love you Pappy McMinn!

William (Sam's cousin) and Samuel found the hose and swimming pool in the garage ALL BY THEMSELVES, stripped down to their shorts (or in Will's case, underwear!) and began to fill the pool with water. Such big boys!! I wonder where their parents were?! =)

Well, I guess that's about it! Talk about random pictures! There's really no rhyme or reason to the order of these; part of it has to do with the fact that I can't figure out this blog and how to upload pictures and put text with it. Call me dumb!

Kara Suzanne; Born Wednesday, 5/23/07

2007-05-27T23:09:00.001-04:00

That's right! Becky's stay in the hospital ended up being shorter than expected as Kara was born 4 1/2 weeks early. Becky was taken into an emergency c-section early Wednesday morning. I rushed into the hospital as fast as I could. I was able to see Kara shortly after they took her out. Here's the stats: 5lbs., 2oz., 17 3/4 inches. Mom and baby are doing well. For now, enjoy the pics. More to come.

Make it three more weeks . . . we hope

2007-05-17T15:58:00.000-04:00

This is a follow up post to Becky's on May 12th. At that time she had just gotten back from an ER visit with dehydration from the flu. Well, that was just the beginning. But, in light of the sensitive nature of the details, I'll summarize. Sometimes I catch myself thinking I'm talking (or writing) to people who are going through the same things we are -- you know, pregnancy, and all the gory details that go along with it. So, anyways, I'll try to spare some of those terms you hear thrown around your local ob/gyn office. Becky is almost 35 weeks pregnant now. We have known she has placenta previa, which simply means that part of the placenta is covering the cervix (where the baby begins to leave the womb -- oh well, so much for not speaking like an OB doctor). This can be a serious thing the closer you get to 40 weeks. Well, since her flu episode on Friday and Saturday, Becky has bled twice (a complication common in placenta previa cases). All in all from Friday through Monday, we went into the hospital 4 times, the 4th one being the final one. Final in the sense that Becky is now being kept on bed rest in Room 343 of Holy Spirit Hospital until around 37 or 38 weeks. The hope is that she will not bleed anymore, and the baby will continue developing and be ready and healthy enough to be born. The baby girl (name to come at birth) will be taken by c-section.
All of this has been a roller coaster ride, and time would not allow an account of all the emotions and conversations we have experienced these last few days. Suffice it to say that we are very pleased with our team of doctors and their decision to take the safe route and keep Becky in the hospital. As one doctor put it, "Even if you lived across the street, that wouldn't be enough time." He was speaking of the possibility of a hemorrhage that could occur in Becky's situation, which could have fatal effects on the baby and possibly the mommy. So, Becky's address is currently room 343. Though we are very glad for the safety of this situation, it is not without its difficulties. We would appreciate your prayers for perseverance during this time for our family. Specifically,

For Becky, as she lies in a hospital bed, at times being lonely. By the way she has lots of books, magazines, puzzle books, and other things to keep her attention (especially her cell phone).
For Samuel, as he goes mommy-less for the next couple weeks. He is pretty resilient, but his missing mommy comes out at times. Also, we have more than enough options for his care over this time, thanks to the many friends and family close by.
For me, as I . . . well I can't explain how much I need Becky in everyday life. She is such a vital part of my daily routine, that of course I miss her and can't wait till she comes home.

All in all, we are doing well. We enjoy daily visits, and my work is flexing for me once again. Please also pray that I will be able to get to the hospital in case they have to take the baby in an emergency c-section. I have this fear that I will miss it all together.

One more request. I am specifically praying that each of us would not miss what God wants to teach us. For Becky, I desire that she not get caught up in self-pity and self-focus, that she spend this time getting to know her God better and blessing others. As you know, her personality is infectious, and God can use her in the lives of the hospital staff. For me, I pray that I will not look at each day through the eyes of the flesh, trying to think of ways I can accomplish everything in my own mind and strength. I desire for us to "Walk in the Spirit" and show forth the glory of Christ. Certainly, He is worthy of our life's devotion and surrender. We cannot tell what He wants to prepare us for, but in His divine wisdom He uses all things for the benefit of our ultimate good and His glorious worth.

This ministered to our hearts the other night,

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You. ~ Psalm 139:13-18

Once again, thank you for your continued support.

Travis

Sam the Builder

2007-05-16T16:55:00.000-04:00

Here's a couple pics of Samuel the other day when I took him into my office with me. He enjoyed freely wandering and looking at Dad's cool work stuff. Enjoy!
Travis

Six more weeks...

2007-05-12T11:31:00.000-04:00

'til our little girl arrives. At least that's the plan according to the due date. I had a little bit of a scare yesterday. On Friday morning around 4 or 5 am, I woke up feeling very nauseated and started throwing up. It's always lovely having the stomach flu, but it's especially great when you're 8 months pregnant!! Yuck! As the morning hours wore on, I was feeling worse and worse (I'll spare you the gory details). I had been talking with my baby doctor a few different times throughout the morning and decided it was time to visit the emergency room. So we loaded Samuel up in the car and Travis drove me there. I could hardly walk by this time, cause I was so weak from throwing up so much. We took the trash can along in the car for which I'm very glad, since I needed it about 10 minutes into our trip. Thankfully, they took us right in...I think it's because I'm pregnant. They see a big stomach and everyone goes into emergency mode =)
My sweet sister-in-law, Traci, came to the hospital to pick up Sam and ended up keeping him ALL DAY!! We were there for 8 hours while they filled me with IV fluids (4 liters). They also checked me into the maternity floor for a while and checked to make sure I wasn't in labor. I was having a lot of stomach pains that moved around into my back and legs. I was sure praying that I wasn't going to have to deliver a baby on the heels of the stomach flu! I think I would have just asked for a C-section! At least I wouldn't have had to muster the energy for contractions and pushing =) I continued throwing up a little throughout the evening and night, but I'm feeling a lot better today (just have the body aches now). I have such a sweet husband who stayed with me all day yesterday. He didn't even leave me to go have lunch or anything =) Right now he and Samuel are out shopping for mother's day. It will be so nice to meet our new baby girl in just a few short weeks. Can't wait to tell you all her name! Have a great weekend!

Dad at Rehab

2007-04-30T09:53:00.000-04:00

I'm very excited to post the newest news about my dad. He has awakened from his coma, but still has a significant amount of brain damage. Our computer has been "in the shop" for over a month, so we've had very little chance to post any updates. This last Friday my friend Janelle and I went to visit mom and dad in Philadelphia at Moss Rehab (a brain rehab) where dad has been for the last 2 weeks. My mom has been living there with him in a special suite for family members. We praise the Lord that she is so close to him and just has to walk down the hall to see him. They spend all day every day together as she accompanies him to all of his rehabs. He has 5 each day (M-F), 2 on Saturday and 1 on Sunday. They include occupational (life skills), physical (walking) and speech therapy (talking and eating). Thank you so much for praying for us. The recovery road is VERY slow, and we're trusting the Lord for whatever amount of recovery He chooses for dad. Please pray especially that he can learn to walk, talk and eat. These are the three major things that would make it much easier to bring him to live at home and not to go to a nursing home. I wanted to share some pictures so you could see how well he's doing.

Dad continues to progress!

2007-04-16T07:51:00.001-04:00

Friends,
Finally, a much overdue update on Becky's Dad. Our last update asked prayer for Dad as his heart rate was erratic, and he needed a surgery to replace his pacemaker. The surgery went very well, and soon after he was alert and responding to us again. This was a great relief! Thank you so much for your prayers concerning this! The latest development and answer to prayer is that the family has decided on a brain injury rehab facility, and Dad has been accepted there. It is called Moss Rehab, and it is close to Philadelphia in Elkins Park. Moss is a well-known, successful facility, so we are thankful and excited about Dad being moved there. He is still in Camp Hill near us, but will move on Monday, 4/16. Also, God has provided a suite for Mom to rent right there at the hospital for a low nightly rate. Though it has not been easy lately, we praise the Lord for His continual assurance that He is there and working consistently on our behalf and, more importantly, for His glory.
So please continue to pray for Dad and Mom. Pray for Dad to respond well to the different therapies. He has a long way to go in almost every physical function you can imagine. Pray for us as a family to trust God for the outcome, whatever it may be. Dad will be in rehab at least for the next 4 to 6 weeks, so also pray for patience and perseverance for Becky's Mom. It has been a long haul. And please pray that we will all not forget to be a testimony for God's glory as we go through this time. We have encountered many that do not know Christ, and it is our desire to minister to them, as God allows.
Finally, this verse encouraged me recently. As Moses first confronted Pharoah and found his response to be that of oppressing Israel even more, Moses was confused and questioned God. In God's response to Moses He said, "But I will harden Pharaoh's heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt." We don't understand God's ways all the time, but most assuredly He has a glorious purpose. His glory will be seen!

Thank you again for your support!
Travis

A Crucial Prayer Request

2007-04-02T14:25:00.001-04:00

We have been so uplifted by your prayers for us during this time with my dad. He has had a fairly good week as far as his responses toward us. The Lord is answering our prayers concerning a couple of specific areas we have asked you to pray about.
1. Dad is no longer on dialysis. His kidneys are functioning at 24% and his creatnine level has dropped significantly. Praise the Lord! We are so thankful that He has met Dad's needs in the area of his kidneys.
2. He has been responding to the medical staff. This was a huge matter of prayer for us to help determine where Dad will be placed next. This is still not completely a settled matter, but his responses have definitely increased by the power of God! =)
We are depending highly on your prayers on our behalf, and so we bring you another crucial prayer request. Over the last week or so, Dad's heart rate has been very erratic, due to a malfunctioning of his pacemaker. It has not been functioning well at all and is having a very difficult time picking up the needed electrial signals that keep the heart beating well. The cardiologists are very concerned and say that this is a crucial thing for Dad's heart. It cannot be left alone, and the problem will not resolve itself. Our only option also puts him in a very crucial position. Dad needs a new pacemaker, but going into surgery is very dangerous because of the recent coma he is just starting to come out of. We need prayer for wisdom as we choose the doctor that will perform the surgery. We also ask you to pray for his safety through the surgery. His heart is very unstable at this time, and he could very easily have another cardiac arrest. Thank you so much for your prayers for my dad and our family. The Lord has been so good to us and we are trusting Him.

Bald and Chubby

2007-03-27T15:38:00.000-04:00

As we get closer to the birth of our new baby, I was just thinking of Samuel when he was smaller and how bald and chubby he was. Thought I'd share some old pictures. These were taken shortly after we moved back to Pennsylvania. Hopefully our little girl will be a bit more petite, but I'm not counting on it!

Good Morning, Mom!

2007-03-27T15:28:00.000-04:00

This is how I found Samuel one recent morning. He had gone to bed with a full set of footie pjs on. I guess I left him in his bed a little too long the next morning. He had completely undressed himself. I can't believe his diaper was still on! My mom says this is what I used to do on the way to church every Sunday. I bet she wanted to kill me!! He's such a happy waker-upper. Very rarely does he ever cry when he wakes up. Usually he's up to no good. This makes me a little bit nervous to switch him to a big boy bed. He'll probably have every toy in the entire room out and all of his clothes out of the drawers. I think I'll keep him caged up in his crib forever! =)

2007-03-24T16:56:00.000-04:00

Life has been quite different for us the past week and a half. My mom has been living here in our apartment with us (in our spare bedroom...poor lady). I wish we had better quarters to offer her. =) We've been enjoying her presence so much. I'm not sure if it's mutual, but she is definitely enjoying her grandson.
Things with dad are quite different as well from the time of our last update. He is now in Select Specialty Hospital on the fifth floor of Holy Spirit Hospital in Camp Hill, PA. It is about 25 minutes from our house. Mom visits, of course, every day, and Samuel and I try to go in at least every other day. He was transferred here on Tuesday, March 13. That afternoon when we went to see him and welcome him to his new hospital mom leaned down over the bed and said, "Hello, honey! I told you I would be here to welcome you when you arrived." Dad responded by immediately, yet VERY slowly nodding his head "Yes." This was the FIRST response we had received since his cardiac arrest almost 3 weeks prior, so it thrilled us! For several days there were just a few responses here and there and mostly just some times of dad's eyes being open and looking at us, but beginning last Sunday afternoon he has responded in even greater ways. When Andy (my brother) and his family came to visit, Dad smiled at the grandson named after him (William) after Will greeted him.
This past Tuesday was a very special night for us. Mom and I were visiting with him and when she leaned over to kiss him, he actually puckered up and kissed her cheek!! What a gift from the Lord! Since that day he has done the same for my mom, not frequently, but just about once each day. This has encouraged us so much. Praise the Lord for these small steps that show at least some understanding in Dad's mind! He has also, on occasion, squeezed our hands when asked and even said "Hi" two different times! We don't want to bore you with ALL of the details, but we want you all to know that the Lord is encouraging our hearts by these improvements. For the most part we have noticed that Dad is in one of three different states: completely asleep and unable to be roused, eyes open but not with any kind of understanding, or eyes open and looking very intently at us (with understanding, not just a blank stare).
One of our biggest prayer requests to share with you at this time is that he will do these purposeful movements for the right people (doctors, nurses, medical people). These are the people who determine if my dad will be able to stay here. They inform the insurance company of the improvement they have seen. If he is improving, then he is allowed to stay, but if they see him as leveling out, then they will send him on. We would like to get him into a brain/cognitive rehabilitation center, and this is dependent upon his charted improvement. We've been asking the nurses to document these things that we see him do, but it would be even more impressive if he did them for the medical staff as well. We understand that he doesn't even know these people, so for them to get him to respond is a matter of prayer. He is much more likely to respond to those who love him (his family). On the medical side of things, it looks as if his staph infection (which began this whole hospital stay) is fairly clear. Also, we are praising the Lord for the improvement of Dad's kidneys (his creatnine levels are the best since his initial hospitalization...down from 11 to 2.8). This is still not a normal level, but it is a drastic improvement! Praise the Lord. We know it is His doing! They have also completely removed his trach tube. He no longer needs it to protect his airway. He is clearing out his airway on his own!
Well, this message is turning into a book, so I will close. What a blessing you are to us. Your prayers have carried us along. We bless the Lord and want His name to be lifted high and His glory to be shown to all those who come in contact with our family.
One more great blessing...there is a young wife (early 30s) who I was able to spend some time with in Dad's first hospital (State College, PA). Her husband was in the ICU with Dad and had suffered a stroke. He was taken off of life support a few days after Dad's transfer to Hershey (about a month ago). She was grieving so greatly and cried constantly. I was able to develop a friendship with her and even called Pastor Rick Gilbaugh (a family friend of ours) to come and pray with her one day and with her husband. After her husband's death, I learned that she attended Calvary Bible Church (Pastor Gilbaugh's church) and received Christ! WOW!! May the Lord be praised. His ways are perfect! =) Please pray for Melissa's growth in Christ since her decision. She will face some very dark days as a young widow. Thank you for the love and concern you have shown to our family.

Quick update

2007-03-22T17:51:00.000-04:00

I wanted to give a quick update until I have more time. We're praising the Lord that my dad is becoming a little more awake. Today he was awake for almost an HOUR!! WOW! This is the third day in a row that he has kissed my mom...heeheehee! What an awesome encouragement that has been for her, and for all of us really. He is nowhere near recovered or anything like that, but we have been so happy for the small things he is doing. He sometimes looks at us with such understanding in his eyes, and then sometimes with a very blank stare, but we can definitely tell that sometimes he is truly seeing us and trying to understand what we're saying. today he said "hi" and when my mom and my dad's sisters clapped for him, he laughed!! =) what a great blessing for us. Thank you all for praying. I can't wait until I can write more. Please continue to pray for all of us. God's grace has been so amazing.

Thank you for praying

2007-03-11T22:27:00.000-04:00

I'm not nearly as good with words as my sweet husband, but I wanted to personally write and thank you for your prayers for my dad. As far as his physical and mental condition is concerned, things are pretty much the same. The tracheotomy and feeding tube were both successfully placed this past Thursday evening. My mom said that it is a bit more difficult (emotionally) for her to see my dad with the tracheotomy tube, but we know this is the best thing for him. The ventilator was causing a pneumonia which is definitely not something dad needs right now. They are treating this pneumonia with antibiotics, and the doctors said that they caught it early. They said to expect things like this to crop up a lot more due to the fact that he is lying in bed constantly. The most recent news is that the Lord has provided a place for my dad to stay for the next 30 days or so. It is called Select Specialty Hospital. They are a Long-Term Acute Care Hospital and they specialize in weaning people off of the ventilator (which, praise the Lord, my dad has already accomplished!) and physical therapy even for patients who are never out of bed. They know the importance of keeping their limbs moving should they recover from their illnesses. This hospital has also received awards for their care of patients' wounds (bed sores) and complications arising from being so immobile. We have already visited the hospital and are very pleased with it. Another great thing about this particular hospital is that it is about 25 minutes from where Travis and I live, so my mom will be coming to stay here with us for at least the next month. We can't wait for her to be here with us, so we can give her lots of home-cooked meals and times of distraction from the sadness (namely, helping with Samuel!) =) She has said she will be so glad to have a family to come home to each day instead of just a hotel room. So...that's the latest on what's happening with my dad. We have been totally overwhelmed with the kindness and love of our family and friends. It is so good to be a part of the body of Christ. God's grace has been truly amazing to us. There have been some very dark times, but we know that the sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared to the glory that we will experience when we are with our Savior! (Romans 8:18)
We love you and thank you for your prayers.
Becky

Prayer Update on Becky's Dad

2007-03-08T15:14:00.000-05:00

Friends,
Just wanted to write a brief note to ask prayer for two specific requests.
1. Becky's Dad has developed pneumonia from the ventilator. He is on antibiotics, so please pray for healing during this already vulnerable time.
2. He has surgery tonight at 6:30pm for the tracheotomy and feeding tube. With someone in his condition, even small things can be fatal.
We are confident of your continued prayers and support. Thank you! As you pray please remember to pray for the effective ministry of the Holy Spirit in Dad's heart as well as our hearts. With all the technicalities of finding a long term care facility and insurance issues, you can imagine the emotional and spiritual stress that comes, particularly for Becky's Mom. Despite these circumstances, we continue to seek God's glory.
Thanks again,
Travis

Update 3/6/07

2007-03-06T14:50:00.001-05:00

I praise the Lord for this ability we have to communicate so readily. This certainly has been an effective tool to get out information and receive your encouraging words. We are so grateful for all your prayers. We certainly can sense God's working in all these situations. Becky's Dad's status has not changed much. The docs spoke with Becky, Andy, and their Mom yesterday concerning Dad's prognosis. They told them that Dad will be in this coma indefinitely (medically speaking); however, they cannot say for sure that he wouldn't recover, because there are cases of recovery on record. Especially with a God with our God's power, there still is hope. The docs broached the topic of long term care or removing the different modes of life support. They told the family to not make a quick decision and assured them that they (the docs) would do whatever they asked. As Beck and her family have been praying, seeking the Lord, and talking, they have decided to proceed with putting in a feeding tube and doing a tracheotomy on Thursday. This will prepare Dad for entering long term acute care in a facility yet to be determined. Actually, as I write this Becky, Andy, and their Mom are driving back from Philly to look at a couple of these facilities. They are very encouraged about this move as it will bring Dad closer to home, place him in a high quality facility (not a nursing home) designed for people like Dad, and give the family more time to pray and think about future decisions. He could move as early as next week. Another praise is that Dad's kidneys are actually improving. Please continue to pray for his kidneys that they would completely heal. This would be a great step in the right direction.
The Lord has continued to minister to our spirits. Becky's Mom has been praising the Lord for giving her a settled peace that she knows is not based on her circumstances since they are very poor at this time. He is really ministering to her heart, which is a direct answer to one of my prayers. He is so good!!
While this has been going on, my Dad has still been recovering from his recent hospital stay, especially the surgery he had to remove blockage in an artery in his leg. My Dad's incision and leg have been bothering him with swelling and discomfort, so he went back to his vascular surgeon today. His doctor feels something is not right so he admitted him again in order to have surgery tonight (5:30 or 6 pm). The purpose of this will be to drain the swelled area and look around for any further problems. Please pray for my Dad as he has been struggling for some time. The Lord is also giving my parents a sweet peace and comfort during this time.
What can we say, but God's ways are not our ways! I rejoice that these situations are not up to us to figure out. We simply must trust the One who upholds all things. My cousin Ann Wright gave us a great passage to meditate on -- 2 Corinthians 4:15-18

For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Thanks Ann!

Seeking the redounding of God's glory,

Travis (for the Heckathorne and Gravley families)

Update on Becky's Dad

2007-03-04T21:55:00.000-05:00

Once again we are so grateful for all the prayers and support during this time. Your emails and phone calls have really helped the family. We enjoy reading all the notes, and it has been special to read them to Becky's mom too. I am home now for the work week. Samuel had a good weekend with his cousin Grace staying at my brother's house. Pray for Becky and Andy as they miss their kids. Becky's Dad has not changed much. To us it seems that he looks better and is showing some signs of activity in his eyes and face. However, it certainly is not significantly different. Probably tomorrow or Tuesday, the doctors will begin to make certain conclusions about a prognosis and his current condition. As you can imagine thoughts of the future are very difficult right now, especially for Becky's Mom. But as we have all seen in the past, God always draws near to us in the most needy times. Though we may not feel that we can handle a certain situation right now, we know that God will comfort and strengthen us when we need it most. Please continue to pray for some sort of recovery soon. As we have considered the power of Christ in raising from the dead, we have had confidence in His ability to address Dad's needs. We have also been encouraged by His Word, which tells us to ask anything in his name. At the same time, we recognize that our God is in heaven and He does whatever He pleases (Ps 115:3).

Another request I would ask you to lift up is for Dad's and the family's perseverance. In the first couple of days there is still so much shock and (could I say) adrenalin. But as day after day goes by with either no news or perhaps worse news, one's spiritual and physical stamina are threatened. We have begun to see this in ourselves already and know there could be many more days of this ahead. So please, as you have been, continue to pray. As Mom prayed this morning in our family devotional time, "Lord, we don't want to displease you in our responses." We also have been praying that those around us would be "confronted" with the glory and power of God.
Again, thank you all and may we serve to comfort you as God brings trials your way.

Travis (for all)

Update on Dad H.

2007-03-02T23:07:00.000-05:00

I just got done writing an email to most everybody in our address book, but here's for the rest of you. Plus I did forget to mention a couple things.

Dad's status has not changed much today. He is unresponsive to external stimuli. They did an EEG this afternoon, which didn't really tell them much. Technically, they have termed him as being in an "alpha coma." I've been "googling" that for the last couple hours and can't find much to help my understanding. It is more descriptive than anything. It means that he is comatose and they are receiving mostly alpha waves from his brain. This is a very typical correlation to his lack of external responses. To be honest the prognosis does not seem very good, but the doctors are not making any conclusions from this. They want to wait out the weekend to see if he begins to show signs of reactivity. Please continue to pray during these vital hours. One positive note is that Dad is breathing on his own, though they still want the ventilator in.

Tomorrow he will have dialysis again to continue to address his poor kidneys. We will spend time talking and visiting with him. Again our prayer is that Dad will recover to some sort of consciousness or that God will take him. However, we are all yielded to God's perfect will. It has really been something to experience such pain and at the same time sort of feeling like we are knowing God more than ever before. Thursday I was struck with these verses in Psalm 73

25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

As Becky said today, this situation may negatively affect our earthly lives in many ways both now and in the future, but there is such joy in the fact that this situation has no negative effects on eternity.

Ready for bed,
Travis

Urgent prayer for Dad

2007-03-01T23:18:00.001-05:00

I am writing this just over 24 hours after Becky's Dad took a turn for the worse. Last evening, while having dialysis, Becky's Dad's heart began to fibrillate, which pretty much means it stopped pumping and was quivering. The hospital staff pumped his chest and eventually used the defibrillator on him and was able to get his heart pumping again. However, they were forced to put him back on a ventilator. His heart was pretty much not working for a total of 20-25 minutes. His heart being down for this long may have had a severe effect on his brain and other functions. We are waiting to find out just what his status is. Sometime tomorrow they will perform an EEG to check the condition of his brain. He has been making some movements and breathing a little on his own (above the ventilator). Overall, the situation looks bleak. Becky and her brother, Andy went down to be with their mom late last night. The family is praying very specifically that either God will call him home or bring him to some sort of conscious recovery, so that the family will not have to make difficult decisions regarding life support or those sorts of issues. Please pray with us for this. God is giving tremendous strength for Becky, Andy, and Mom. Please continue to pray for endurance during greatly difficult times and perhaps more difficult ones ahead. We are so privileged to have such faithful and concerned friends. Recognizing His goodness through it all, Travis (for the rest of us)

A Day on the Road

2007-02-26T13:44:00.000-05:00

I was tired of posting all serious information, so here's a couple of pictures from Samuel's day on the road. He got this battery-operated 4 wheeler for Christmas...thanks Grammy and Pappy! It goes a maximum of 2 miles per hour. Even if he heads for the real road I might be able to catch him at that speed. =)

Coming home x 2!

2007-02-26T13:22:00.000-05:00

Thank you all for praying for our dads. Travis' father came home from the hospital on Tuesday after being there for almost 2 weeks. He was even able to go to church yesterday. I'm sure he LOVED being there. It's been well over a month since he's been able to go, maybe even 2 months.
Things are looking up for my dad as well. Last Thursday he was transferred to Philadelphia (Hahnemann University Hospital) for a procedure to remove his pacemaker. This is a bit risky because the lead wires grow right into your heart tissue after the pacemaker is placed in you. To remove them takes a careful hand so as not to tear the heart tissue. The doctors reported a VERY easy removal due to the heart infection; the wires came right out. Praise the Lord! Today (Monday) they are scoping his heart again to see if the infection has been completely eradicated from his body and if so, then they will place a temporary pacemaker and watch him for a few days until they feel free to send him home. The word is that Thursday is looking good for the send home day! He will probably go to a rehab near my parents' home, but at least mom can live at home again. This is the start of his 4th week in the hospital, so they're very anxious to get home =) The Lord has provided in so many ways throughout this process (from meeting financial needs to emotional needs and everything in between). We praise Him for the grace He has given to our family, just as He promised. "Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy name!"

The Million-Dollar Family

2007-02-19T16:03:00.000-05:00

Though we will never be millionaires, we are so happy about the new BABY GIRL that the Lord has given to us. I finally had an ultrasound today and the sonographer was 99.9% sure it is a girl!! We're very excited although we won't know how to take care of one of those. =) I'm sure all you mothers of girls would say it's easy, huh? heehee It is an extra special blessing for MY family since the only grandchildren are boys (4 of them). I asked my brother if he could teach her how to wrestle. He said she would probably whip all of the boys! =) We're just so happy about how the Lord has blessed us.
Becky

O the depth!

2007-02-13T21:34:00.000-05:00

Well, praise the Lord for doctors and modern medicine. We have certainly seen God's common grace in giving us access to medical technology established by God-directed people over the years. Anyway, our dads are hanging in there.

First, my dad, Ray Gravley. Since he began his stay last Thursday, they were concerned he had "C Dif" (sp?). So, we are still awaiting results from that test. They are treating him as if he has it, so he is on a specific antibiotic and is staying in an isolated room. At times throughout his month of malladies he had felt some pain and numbness in his legs and feet. Yesterday it got really bad. After the vascular surgeon's assessment (Dad's personal vascular surgeon), it was determined that Dad should get his right leg looked at inside to see what was going on. So, he went into the OR last evening around 7 pm. At 11 something, the surgeon came out to report to Mom and I that he had significant blockage in an artery in his left leg and that they had successfully removed it. It was such a blessing that Dad was in the hospital for them to catch this and take care of it. However, it does add some more perplexity to Dad's already enigmatic condition. He recovered well from the procedure and is now still at Harrisburg Hospital awaiting more test results. Please continue to pray for his patience and encouragement. The Lord has been ministering to him, so we're thankful.

Now, onto my wonderful, but not-lately-too-healthy Father-in-Law. Things seem to be steadily getting better. Yesterday's "scoping" of his lungs as well as the antibiotics seem to be improving his pneumonia, even to the point that they are weaning him off of the ventilator tonight into tomorrow. Also, they made a significant discovery today in locating the source of his infection -- the right tri-cuspid valve of his heart. This was really something, as the infection could have easily been in the left tri-cuspid, which would have killed him. According to the docs, the right valve controls flow to the lungs, while the left valve controls flow to the brain. What a sobering thought! A real answer to a specific prayer of Becky's was that the doctor would know how to treat her dad, even if he didn't have all the pieces of the puzzle. And this is exactly what has happened. If they would have known this from the start, the treatment and procedures would have been exactly the same. Even in a day of such human advancement, God is demonstrating his supreme and gracious providence and sovereignty.

The other bit of news is that Becky's Dad will probably be moved to Hershey on Thursday, as a precautionary step should they have to remove his pacemaker in light of the location of the infection. Please pray for this transition as the weather is bad, and the family will have to get used to a whole new line of doctors and nurses. They had been so pleased with the crew in State College.

Anyway, that's an update on our status here in wintry PA. We thank you all so much for your prayers and encouraging words. We are so blessed and would not want to be in any other circumstance than in the will of God.

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counselor? ~ Romans 11:33-34

Travis

Our 2 Dads

2007-02-10T11:43:00.000-05:00

Well, since Becky's last post things have become a little more interesting, as God is giving us more opportunities to trust Him and see Him work. Becky's dad is still in ICU on a ventilator, but is doing some better. The doctors seem to have a positive outlook on his status. Through Thursday his kidneys were still doing poorly, even a little worse. So, Friday morning they did dialysis, and did it again this morning. This will hopefully do the job his kidneys can't do right now, and that is clean out his blood of the poisons. Also, they have already started cutting back on the ventilator to allow him to breath minimally on his own. Continue to pray for his improvement and patience during the long road ahead.

With one dad already in ICU, my dad, Ray Gravley, was admitted in the hospital Thursday afternoon. My poor father has had a terrible January (since his retirement at the end of last year). I will spare the details, but they have found his colon in very bad shape. He is in the hospital to get nutrition through an IV and have further testing done to see what has caused this. They are looking at all the options.

We just praise the Lord that He has a perfect plan for each one of us. God has even used this time for Becky to be able to reach out to a family in the room next to her dad's. Please pray for Melissa and George, as they are in despair at George's condition. Pray for their turning to the Savior, who alone is good. Certainly, He works all things after the counsel of His will, and this brings us great encouragement. I guess I would say that is the primary prayer request for our 2 dads during this time -- that God would encourage them in their hearts to be patient and trust Him. They both have a long road ahead and certainly cannot proceed in their own strength.

Thanks so much for all the prayers and encouragement during this God-ordained time in our family.
Travis

Update on Becky's Dad

2007-02-07T20:28:00.000-05:00

Things here with my dad are about the same. They actually from our standpoint seem a little bit worse. Dad had a very rough day today. He was talking pretty crazy and shaking a lot. They said it was from the toxins in his bloodstream and maybe from all the medication as well. Tonight around 6pm they put him on a ventilator so that he won't have to work to breathe. It seems very scary for this to be the next step, but everyone thinks it is best. He'll be able to rest and allow his body to heal. His kidneys are functioning now at only 15% compared to the 25% yesterday. The doctor said he actually went a little downhill today, so we are just trying to trust in the Lord's perfect will. He is always good. I know this even though sometimes it's easier to focus on the circumstance. Please pray for us that we will grow in Christ by focusing on HIM right now and not on our fears. We thank you so much for your prayers.

Please pray for my dad

2007-02-05T20:35:00.000-05:00

Hey, everybody! I thought this would be a good way to get the word out quickly. My dad was admitted to the hospital yesterday morning (Sunday) with what they thought was dehydration from the flu. The diagnosis though is much more serious. He has a staph infection and pneumonia in his left lung. Because of the seriousness of the infection, his kidneys are doing very poorly. The toxicity has spread throughout his body and he is in intense pain. His blood oxygen levels are also very low and they will probably be putting him on a ventilator tonight to help with that. It's a possibility that they may do dialysis on his kidneys to help, but that will be a last resort. His body is just not responding to the treatment that they have been giving (antibiotics,etc.) So...that's the story so far. Everyone is doing pretty well emotionally (even my mom), so we're very thankful for the grace that the Lord is giving. We're not sure of the ultimate prognosis or anything like that...I guess that's the scary part, not knowing what could happen. My dad is a believer, so I'm so thankful to know that he can lean on the Lord. Thanks for praying. We'll keep you updated.
Becky

And I haven't even turned 32 yet!!

2007-01-29T14:17:00.000-05:00

Travis and I had big plans to go to the doctor together tomorrow (Tuesday) with Samuel and watch the ultrasound as one big happy family to find out the sex of our new baby!! However, I was disappointed when Trav came to tell me that I had the date of the appointment wrong. Rather than Tuesday, the appointment was this morning (Monday), so he wasn't going to be able to come with me. I felt bad that our "family plan" wasn't going to work out. Now, it was just me going to the doctor with Samuel to watch the ultrasound by ourselves. Yippee!! Sounds great...me on the table and Sam running all around the office and pulling medical paraphenalia out of drawers. I can't wait! When I got to the office, I found out that there never WAS an ultrasound scheduled to begin with and that it would be scheduled for a few weeks from now!! I've been a little mixy since we returned from Romania. I'm surprised I even went to the right doctor's office! Thankfully, everything is working out okay and maybe we can still go to the doctor in a few weeks as a family. I think I need a nice warm cup of tea and a nap. How about you? =)

new baby moving

2007-01-27T18:43:00.000-05:00

For just about the last week I've been feeling our new baby move inside of me. What an incredible feeling! It's been a little more special for me this time. I'm not sure why. I've had a lot more fears of miscarriage with this baby than with Samuel, so I'm sure that has something to do with it. I just wanted to share these verses that are so special to me. Psalm 139:14-18 "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works . . . in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them. If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee." Isn't it great to know that God's thoughts about us are countless?
I go to the doctor this coming Tuesday, and we might get to find out the sex of the baby...yay!! I'm not sure if they're going to do an ultrasound or not. We'll let you know!

Romania Trip -- Part 2

2007-01-24T16:09:00.000-05:00

The second half of our trip to Romania was busy and profitable. Thursday we spent with our teammate Felicia Oana. She showed us around the city of Oradea, a city of around 300,000 people. We enjoyed seeing the old, historic buildings and interesting sites. Particularly interesting was the university in Oradea. She took us on campus where we got to see the opportunities first hand. The university is one of about 30,000 students. The Oanas have a specific burden for this group of young people hoping to have help reaching out to them. The ministry would entail weekly Bible studies and activities on and off campus. What a great opportunity is here. We also got to go to the Oana's church (Maranatha Baptist) later that evening for their mid-week Bible study. That was a good opportunity to spend with the young people and share our testimonies with them.

Friday was busy as we visited a children's hospital in Oradea where some abandoned babies are kept. We got to hold and feed these adorable babies. This was a bitter sweet experience as it was hard to leave them in such lonely and not-so-ideal conditions. I don't think we'll soon forget that experience. That night we went to another Romanian house for dinner. Luci and Nellu were so gracious and more than filled our stomachs. We had three courses, and each one was enough to fill us. We kindly ate the first course, telling them how much we liked it. It was a sort of breakfast pizza with veggies and chesse on it along with cheese-stuffed veggies. Then, to our surprise, here comes the second course, which was meat and potatoes. Even though I was stuffed from the first course, I had to try the potatoes (you know, potatoes are the reason I'm going to Romania). They were great!! Then came dessert, which, if you know European desserts, did not slide down too easily. After dinner, they taught us how to sing "Trust and Obey" in Romanian, so we could sing it with them in church on Sunday. It was a good time.

Well, if I go through every day, we could be here longer than we wish. So, I will just hit a couple more highlights. Sunday was a great day in three services again. We were exhausted, but enjoyed meeting new people and seeing other Gypsy works. The highlight, or rather lowlight, for Sunday was that I forgot the camera! Can you believe it!? We commented that this was about as bad as forgetting your underwear. In fact, it was worse! But anyway, the Lord is sovereign, and I probably enjoyed the day a little more as I wasn't always worrying about catching every moment on the cameras.

Monday evening we got to spend with our teammates, the Finks. This was a great time. They are great people, and we really connected with them as we shared our hearts with each other.

It is good to be home, but we praise the Lord for allowing us to take this trip. It really gave us something to look forward to and a reason to get on the ball with the deputation process. As we have said so many times, we praise the Lord for the privilege it is to serve Him. His grace is amazing to us, every day.
Travis

Posting from Romania!

2007-01-17T14:12:00.001-05:00

Hello from Romania!! We've been recovering from jetlag and spending the rest of the time visiting the different ministries we will have the opportunity to be involved with here in the coming years. We're on an 11 day survey trip spending most of our time in the city of Oradea and the surrounding villages. We're being hosted by one of our future Baptist Mid-Missions teammates, Kim Marks. She has a ministry almost exclusively to the Gypsy people of Romania and our other teammates, the Oanas (Romanian nationals) minister primarily to the Romanians in this area. We've been able to spend time with both Kim and the Oana family to see what's happening in both ethnic groups. We've visited both Gypsy and Romanian churches and been in several homes of both groups as well. Today was especially great as we spent a few hours with a Gypsy pastor and his wife and their 2 young children. They are so very poor and all 4 of them live in 1 room. Pastor Nastase and his wife Claudia have such a great love and gratefulness toward the Lord. Our missionary hostess, Kim, translated much of what they said, which was awesome for us since we were able to connect with them much better that way (a lot more personally). We were there for a Bible study with the women of the village church. Only 3 of them came, so Kim allowed us to give our testimonies rather than teaching what she had planned. This was also a special blessing for us to allow them to see that our sinful hearts are the same as theirs and that God has given us salvation. Just because we are Americans, we are no different than they are in the sinfulness and selfishness of our hearts. One last thing that happened today that impacted us so greatly was to hear the Gypsies pray. It was incredible to hear how much they love the Lord and how well they understand who God is. Though they are unable to read, the Holy Spirit has taken the preaching and teaching of His Word in their churches and grown them up in Christ. It was AWESOME!! Sorry this post is so long...so much to say. Please pray for the Lord's work in our hearts that we would seek His will and not our own in the coming months as we travel on deputation.

tbs grav 2.0

2007-01-07T22:13:00.000-05:00

You can now order the new Gravley Blog for only $99.99! Just kidding...actually, we just changed the setting on the comment section to receive comments from anyone, so it won't be so annoying to leave a comment if you don't have a Google account. My sweet sister in law Suzanne came up with this brilliant idea. Thanks, Suz! =) We have one question, though. For all of you experienced bloggers, will this get us a bunch of junk commenting that we don't want?

So much to tell, but . . .

2007-01-05T21:55:00.000-05:00

Becky and I have really enjoyed our first week of having a blog. Now, not only do we get to check our often uneventful email, but we also get to watch our comments section like a hawk, only to find 2 in a week. We are realizing that you have to post if you want traffic. The same picture of Sam for 8 days just won't cut it (though you have to admit it is a cute one!) Anyway, we really do have so much to tell, but we just don't know how to say it. I have asked Becky just about every night if she is going to post anything new, and she just says, "I don't feel like it." You see, this takes work for us. With so many of you going on before us into blogdom, we feel we have so much to live up to.

Joking aside, it really is a fun waste . . . I mean . . . use of my time. We actually have big plans for this little corner of the web. We are leaving in 6 days for our survey trip to Romania. We hope to keep you all posted about our trip on this blog. We will be snapping lots of pictures and maybe even some video that we would love to share with you. So, please, stay tuned! Surely, in time, we'll get over this intitial intimidation.

Travis