Thanksgiving scare

Kelly assures me that the Rideouts had a good thanksgiving but right afterward Kelly and Katie had a scare! Katie has got a cold. No just any cold. With the medications that Katie is taking a cold could be very serious so it was back to the Emergency department at Cardinal Glennon for Katie and Kelly. Katie was released to go home so that was a blessing and a great big whew for Kelly.
On another note, I found out that the funds from the bake sale have still not made it to the Rideouts! If anyone can tell me how to get Thrivent to release these funds please let me know. If I had known they would keep them so long I might not have gone for the matching. The Rideout need those funds yesterday. Anyone with insight? Who should I call?

The posts to this blog are infrequent now that Katie seems more stable. I will make posts as Kelly gives me information to pass on or if anyone else has items concerning Katie that needs to be shared. Thanks so much for all the support for the Rideouts. God has truely blessed them with wonderful friends!

Psalm 31:24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.

PIN DROP!

Katie was at therapy this last week and was playing a board game. The therapist told Katie it was time to go and without prompting, Katie started picking up the pieces (small) with her left hand. The whole room stopped what they were doing and watched. You could have heard a pin drop! The therapist said "Katie do you realize what you are doing?" Katie looked up and noticed everyone watching her and said "what?" The therapist was so overjoyed she laughed "you are using your left hand to pick up the pieces!" The whole room cheered.

You might have also seen Katie this Sunday singing with the Sunday school choir! It is so nice to have her back.

The Rideouts are running low on gas and none of the proceeds of the Bake sale have been released (they are with Thrivent right now) and with all the trips back and forth to therapy and the Doctors office, Kelly is out of gas. If anyone has a gas card they could donate it would be a great blessing.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”- Colossians 2:6-7

Therapy went better this week. Katie is really working hard. She gets to see her friends from school when they go to pick Mary up. All her friends really miss her! Another round of Doctors appointments and blood work. The long hard road back is just starting and we need to keep Katie and all the Rideout family in our prayers, they are not out of the woods yet! Let's continue to lift them up to God.

Philippians 4:13 (Read all of Philippians 4)
I can do all things in him that strengtheneth me.

BAKE SALE A HUGE SUCCESS!!!!

I am sorry it has been several days since the last post. Katie continues to go to therapy on Tues and Thursdays. She has frequent doctors appointments as well but she is doing well. The family is rejoicing at being all together at home.

The Bake sale was held Sat at the 5pm service and then between each of the services on Sunday. Thanks to all who came and helped man the tables, thanks to all the fantastic bakers, and thanks to all of you who bought the goodies. We made a phenomenal amount! Thrivent had already committed to matching up to $1000 thanks to Mary Wolfram and Kari Lovera who got the approval squeaked through at the last minute. The matching funds should not interfere with the trivia night because it is in 2009, next year!

So many people came by and expressed their love and concern for the Rideouts, the generosity and compassion were just mind boggling. I know our church always supports each other with prayer but to see the very real outpouring of physical support made me see what the Bible means when it says " Matthew 25:35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

To the saints at Salem....Thank you all

BAKE SALE

Remember the bake sale is Sat after the 5pm service and sun between services and after the 11 pm service till 1230. Please bring your baked goods to the church kitchen by Sat at 4pm. Thanks so much for your support!

Galloping

Therapy was really hard for Katie on Wed. They asked her to do alot of things she just couldn't do. Galloping was one of them. Katie decided that if she never galloped again, that was fine with her. Now you wouldn't think that galloping like a horse was a big deal but I guess it moves some muscles you don't normally use in just a walk. The therapist asked Katie to think of what she wanted to be able to do in the future. It is hard for a 10 year old to invision not being able to do what ever she wants so it was very hard for Katie to do that. She decided she really wants to be able to swim and run. She is going to discuss this with her physical therapist on thursday. She has to get some blood drawn and more therapy then so it will be a long hard day for her.

The family is so happy to all be together again and is really thankful for all your prayers and help. Keep praying

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another John 13:35

Veterans Day

Katie got to go to the Veteran's Day Celebration at school. Anyone who saw her walking would never know that there was any difficulty. She is doing so great! Wed starts her outpatient physical therapy. The home schooling is still being arranged. Some tears were shed with Mary's return from the Baggetts (an amazing family) and everyone was back under one roof. The only member missing is the Rideout's dog who has been staying with the Holloways (another amazing family).

Salem has shown such love and support, lets keep it going with this weekends bake sale.
If you can help man the table, please email me at msgaffney4@sbcglobal.net and let me know what time and sat or sun.

Thanks

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another John 13:34

HOME HOME HOME

Katie got to come home!!!!!! We got to see that great smile at school when Katie came to see all of her friends after being discharged from the hospital. She has lots of work still coming at her but at least she will be sleeping in her own bed. Kelly is looking forward to a good nights sleep too.

The MRI results are the same, which is good news. There has been no progression of the disease. Katie will continue on chemotherapy and steroids for the time being.

All of this is good news!

Additionally, I understand that the Men's Club from church is holding a trivia night in January and the proceeds will go to the Rideouts. If I have that info wrong please let me know but that is what I was told. Way to go Men's Club!!! We will hold off on asking for Thrivent matching funds until the trivia night since you can only request this once.

Also, the Regions bank family fund news: When you tell them you want to donate to the Rideout family fund, you must specify Katie and Kelly or else they can't find the account. So make sure you ask for the Katie/Kelly Rideout fund when you make a donation.

This is a real time to be joyous and praise God!

Praise God from whom all blessing flow

A flyer will go out with all school kids this week for the bake sale. It will be in the Spirit and Principals pad and Mary Wolfram is checking into getting matching funds from Thrivent. If you are a thrivent member, contact Mary so she can add your name to the list of participating families. The more thrivent members participate, the greater chance we have for matching funds!

T-1 Katie coomes home tommorrow!

I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me. - Philip. 4:13

MRI done!

Today was long, Katie forced the docs to put her to sleep for her mri. that meant no food a new iv and a disappointed mom but she had the test .It was a little later than planned due to the breakfast she ate. We dont have results yet. Katie had a special thearpy tonite, she played with three dogs all of which had some pretty cool tricks. One of them could spell cat. I know it was amazing. We spent the next hour decorating cookies courtsy of Cindy Putmans baking skills. Great fun with colorful cheeks and noses. Two more days I think,
thank you, love kelly

for the joy of the LORD is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)

zoo trip

Katie got to go to the zoo today. She got to see the baby tigers and got some great pictures of the penguins. All in all, a great day. She was sooooo tired when she got back. It is a work out for everyone normally but for one who is working so hard on getting strength back, I bet it was a major challenge.

Wednesday is MRI day. Please pray for God's peace for Katie as she hates this test. Also pray for good news from the results. We sure want this behind Katie and her mom.

I have had a volunteer to man the bakesale table on Sat Nov 15 at the 5pm service so I guess we need the bake goods delivered to the kitchen friday or sat and clearly marked BAKE SALE
Any service organization is welcome and encouraged to participate. Let's make this a offering of love from all of Salem Church and School! I'll provide baggies or cling wrap if items need to be separated. If you need your pan back please mark it return to:

Be strong and of good courage, don't be afraid, nor scared of them; for Yahweh your God, He it is who does go with you, He will not fail you, nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 30:15

Turn about is fair play

Katie is feeling much better, you can tell. She had gotten all sorts of creepy crawley things for halloween. She decided to play a joke on her nurse and put them in her bed linens. While Katie was out a therapy, her nurse came in to change her bed and found them. Apparently this is not the first time one of her patients has pulled that joke on her because she took it in stride. She decided to get Katie though and put the creepy crawlies back in her bed in the clean linens! Katie thought it was hilarious! They are making plans for some home schooling when she is discharged as Katie will have therapy probably 4x/week.

The dreaded MRI has reared it's ugly head again. Katie will have another MRI this wednsday. She really needs your prayers as she is deathly afraid of this test. They want to see how the chemo is working and the status of her blood vessels. Pray that God gives her a peace about this test!

T-4 to home!

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven

Bake sale update

Any and all help, baking, manning the tables will be appreciated!

The joy of the Lord is my strength!

Katie on TV

Katie was in a parade on Halloween! They had kids who are patients at the hospital in a parade to all the different departments and trick or treated! The local new came and filmed them and Katie was on the noon news! You should see her brace. It is purple with butterflies. She is walking really really well. She says they are not only making her work out hard but are making her do homework! Boy she just can't catch a break.

Katie and Erin are going to share a bedroom and it was painted some really cool colors. It looks so nice. The living room got painted too and has a lovely accent wall. (isn't that what the decorators say?)

count down to coming home T-6

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge
2 Samuel:22