The son of my mom's cousin passed away this week.  He was 20 days shy of his 33rd birthday.  He had a wife and a son who is just a few months younger than Arianna.  I didn't know him too well, but I went with my brother and parents to the funeral anyway.  Jeff was the kind of guy who lived his faith with a servant attitude.  He was a big kid and loved to laugh.  He loved the outdoors and I remember being teased by him when I was younger and we were camping together with our families.  He had testicular cancer, but it wasn't the cancer that claimed his life.  He had a very rare reaction to the chemo drug he was receiving.  It attacked his lungs, scarring them so badly he would never breathe on his own again.  This is what took his life.  It seems so unfair.  We will never know why, but as his brother said at the memorial service yesterday, we trust that this kind of death is not God's will, but the affect of a sinful, fallen world.  And to God be the glory.  Maybe when we look back in 10 or 15 years we will see all the good that has come from Jeff's leaving us too soon.

I can't imagine what his wife is going through, his son, who will never really remember his dad.  It makes me grateful for my husband and children.

There was a fire in downtown Bowmanville this past week.  A number of businesses and apartments were destroyed.  It makes me grateful for my house and the things we have.

Another shift at GM (local automotive plant) was cut.  1,000 people lost their jobs and the trickle-down effect will cause 100s more in job losses.  It makes me grateful for my husband's job, where there is a shortage of pharmacists.  He could probably pick where he wanted to work.

I am so richly blessed.  Thank you, Lord, for showering me with your blessings.  May I never take them for granted!

It's been a crazy two weeks!  Nathaniel is sitting on his own for extended periods of time.  He started crawling.  He's pulling up to a stand on anything.  He's cut two teeth.  All this in two weeks!  He's crawling 3 months earlier than his sister did and she didn't start pulling up on things until she was almost 11 months old.  He's just 7 months old!  It's craziness, I tell you.    She must be some serious motivation for him.  Slow down, buddy!

Well we finally got to see the pediatrician for Nathaniel's rice allergy. She said that since he hasn't reacted to any other pre-mixed cereal, it isn't an allergy to dairy or some obscure additive. It's simply a very strange allergy to rice, which is supposed to be hypo-allergenic. We were told, no mixed cereals, which all have rice in them, until he is 10 months old. Then we can try a little bit and see if he still reacts. If not, then we can give him some mushy rice when he's a year old, again just a little and see if he reacts. Thankfully we are able to go back to her if he reacts to anything else or there are other concerns about allergies; we don't have to get a referral first. Other than that, he's doing wonderfully. He's sitting on his own, although he doesn't stay there very long; and he's almost crawling. I thought he would be by now, but he seems to love the soldier crawl (on his belly, dragging his legs). He's all over the place now and Arianna loves playing with him.

Anyway, there's a quick update.

Oh and I'm so excited, our tulips are blooming!! Spring is here!