NathanSmoke.com

Nate the Great

2008-09-04T16:07:00.003-04:00

My goodness, where has time gone? First and most importantly, Nate is still cancer free and doing wonderful!!! He had his test completed in May and all was free and clear of cancer. He is now on yearly check-ups! Praise the Lord for His goodness and continually answering our prayers. Now, let's talk about that cute boy...

He turned 4 in July and got his first bike for his birthday. He rides like a pro! We took a vacation to the beach this summer and he loved every minute of it...he is a beach bum at heart just like Nathan and I. And his biggest accomplishment is that he has started K-4 and is doing wonderfully. He has loved it and he loves his teacher. He enjoys learning, so this has been so great for him. On the first day he was very apprehensive, as was I, but he soared right through and wanted to go back!!!! I asked him if he asked any questions that day and he said, "yes, I asked my teacher when we were going to the playground." LOL! He was making sure the important questions were answered on the first day.

Please keep praying for the little guy when he comes to mind. He is a blessing to us and we love getting laughs from him. I end this with one funny story...

About 2 months ago we were on our way home and out of the blue Nate says, "Do you remember those underwear you got for Christmas'? (My brother Matthew made me a pocket book out of underwear. He put wooden handles on it and sewed the legs closed...yes, only Matthew would make such a great gift.) I said "yes. Why"? Nate continues to say, "That was actually a really nice gift." I said "It was"? "Yes, because when I am big like daddy I can wear them!!!" It was one of those moments I wanted to laugh so hard, and yet he was so sincere I didn't want to embarrass him. He can be too cute!!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-11T23:39:00.001-05:00

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

and a

Happy New Year!

Still doing wonderful!

2007-12-07T22:47:00.000-05:00

Nate had his ultrasound, chest x-ray, and blood work completed about 2 weeks ago and everything looked GREAT! It is always such an answer to prayer when we hear that news. He's a little sick today with a cough and fever and he keeps asking me when he is going to feel better. Poor little guy. He is getting so big. Sometimes I just look at him in disbelief that he has gotten so tall. Why do they have to grow up? He is such a helper with his sister and picking up his toys and helping daddy do projects. He loves to help! He keeps us laughing daily. The other day we were praising Natalie on how smart she is b/c she brought Nathan the dust pan when he was sweeping. So, Nate pops his head in the dining room and says, "Well, she's not that smart. She doesn't know how to put the ornaments on the Christmas tree yet." Oh my! He is little mess at times. Continue to pray for him and that the cancer will stay away forever. I'll end this blog with a special story.
Dec. 5th Nathan was putting Nate to bed and Nate asked Nathan about heaven. Nathan said that when people ask Jesus in their hearts then they will go to heaven to live with Jesus. Nate said he wanted to go to heaven and asked Nathan to ask Jesus for him. Nathan told him that only he can ask Jesus in his heart. So Nate prayed all by himself and said, "Jesus come into my heart and stay for a long, long, long time." Nate doesn't understand all the concepts of salvation, but I praise the Lord for his tender heart. God is Good!
Love,
Nathan and Sarah

Already October...

2007-10-11T23:13:00.000-04:00

(Pics: 9/07 Caleb (cousin, best buddy) and Nate swimming; Caleb and Nate responding to "Show me your tough guy.")

Things here continue to stay busy. Nate is doing wonderful. We think we found the reason for Nate's temper tantrums. There is something in Tylenol cold and possibly Benadryl that does not agree with Nate. He was taking the Tylenol while he was sick, even though we only gave it to him one to two times a day, it still bothered him. I figured it out after one evening I gave him Benadryl b/c I was out of his allergy med. That next morning was a disaster. Though, it takes me while to learn my lesson and live in denial. I gave him the same medicine again on a different occasion and...yes, a disaster. I have now learned my lesson!! Thank you for your prayers. He is such a sweet boy.
My heart broke the other night for him. I was taking him to Cubbies at church Wed. night and on the way there he started saying he did not want to go. I thought he was being difficult and I just kept talking about other things. When we got there, he had his hands in his mouth (what he does when he is nervous) and was just shaking his head no. I finally decided it might be good to ask him why the change of heart. He said "because I only have this many friends (he holds up one finger) and I need this many friends ( holds up five fingers)." I just wanted to hug him and tell him he could stay with me forever!!!!! I didn't force him to go, but I called my sister in law and asked if she would bring the girls to Cubbies...they are a little too young, but Nate needs his friends. :) Praise the Lord for family! I get often get picked on b/c I don't want to send Nate to school until he is five. I mean, he is going to be there for the next 16+ years of his life... why the rush??? After Wed. night's event, I am thinking I may never send him to school and that education is over rated!!! (just kidding...kind of) I will cut the umbilical cord someday...though not today. ;)
Thank you for your continual prayers. God is Good and His protection over our family is a undeserved daily blessing.
Love,
Large, Medium, Small and X-Small Smoke

Pray for the Runde family

2007-09-18T21:02:00.000-04:00

I had mentioned in a previous blog about James Runde. He was a five year old boy with neuroblastoma. The Lord took him home Sept. 17th, 2007. Please pray for his parents, grandparents, and all the extended family.
Love, Sarah

2007-07-29T22:42:00.001-04:00

July 4th

Nate Turned Three!!

Just an update

2007-07-29T22:23:00.000-04:00

Hi there! We hope you are doing well. Summer has been busy and more busy. Nate is still doing great. All of his latest scans and test have been cancer free. He had a rough week, two weeks ago, with sickness. We prayed it was not cancer related and it seemed to have been just a virus that did not want to leave and caused him a lot of abdominal pain. He then ended up with pink eye during the sickness and that has finally subsided. He is still not quite himself. He continues to have irrational fits that last for about an hour. Sometimes he has several a day and sometimes just one a day. We have tried different methods to try to correct these fits, from discipline to holding him and helping him feel secure. None have worked. We are not sure of the problem. He had these fits about year ago and we took him off of dairy products and that helped. We are thinking of taking him to an allergist to see if something is aggravating him. I know, you are reading this and probably thinking, "goodness, he is three, they call them temper-tantrums!" Yes, we have thought of that, but these have over exceeded the bounds of temper-tantrums. There is something strange about the way he acts and the fact that there is no consoling him. It is difficult not to get frustrated. We just keep our cool or we would be joining him in the fits...trust me, it's very tempting! Thank you for praying for him. Please add this request to your prayers. Also please pray for young boy James Runde. He is from our area. He has cancer and his latest test have been heart breaking. His web site is www.jamesrunde.com They are a wonderful Christian family that need prayer! Please have others pray for his healing and for strength for his family. Thank you and have a wonderful week.
Love, The Smokes

Check up in May

2007-05-03T22:16:00.000-04:00

Hi there. I have probably lost all the viewers of this blog due to my poor ability to post. I'm not sure what I was doing wrong, but somehow it seems to be working now.
Well, truly not much has happened, which is wonderful! Nate does return for his scans May 15th. We continue to pray there is no signs of cancer. He will periodically say his stomach hurts, or he will show signs of anxiety and want to latch on to Nathan or I and not leave our side. It would scare me at first b/c I have heard people say when the child seems unstable that can be a sign of relapse. But you know, I couldn't go through life worrying that everything that seemed a bit atypical was relapse. So I had to give it to the Lord and remember that He has healed my son and also remember he is a 2 year old, everything they do seems a bit unstable!! Nate is doing wonderful though. He is a true comedian and is obsessed with his muscles. He ask me to feel them about 10 times a day and he wants me to tell him they are BIG! He then tells me they are big b/c he eats his vegetables and broccoli. He loves his sister and she is in awe of everything he does. He is a special little guy. One funny little thing he said the other day...We are in the end times of potty training and he had just used the potty and I said, "yea Nate, we are almost potty trained!" He got all excited and said, "Where's the potty train!?" So literal at times. Well, thank you all for your continued prayer. God is Good and His mercies are new EACH day.
Love, Nathan and Sarah

Merry Christmas

2006-12-20T13:36:00.000-05:00

We wish
you all
a very
Merry CHRISTmas!

Love,
Nathan, Sarah, Nate, and Natalie

Thought I posted...

2006-12-04T10:20:00.000-05:00

Well I thought I posted last month but I do not see it anywhere. Nate is still doing wonderful. We went Thursday morning for his chest x-ray, ultrasound and bloodwork. Everything came back negative of cancer! Praise the Lord. He did wonderful for his x-ray. This was the first time he was able to sit up and not be strapped on the board. At the ultrasound he saw his favorite ultrasound tech Christa. He loves on her and acts like an angel. We then went to clinic for blood work and routine check-up. He was amazed with the blood coming out of his finger for his blood work. He is too busy being inquisitive to cry. He then played with the trains as I sat back with the chills and felt the flu coming on! I started feeling so bad I was going to take him home with out his check-up because I didn't think I could make the drive home. Thankfully they took him right away and got us out of there in a hurry.
Nate is continually keeping us entertained. He has a great sense of humor and he tries to be funny to make us laugh. He loves on his sister when ever he can get his hands on her. She just loves him and smiles when she hears his voice. Nate loves to sing and it is so sweet to hear. He loves Jesus loves me, the B-I-B-L-E, and Jingle Bells. He has a small part in the children's Christmas program at church. I am so excited!! Isn't that why we have kids? To put them in church children's programs!! (Ha!)
I will try to do better with keeping you all updated with Nate. Between children, family, housework, church, and nursing school I do not have that much time to sit and type sometimes. Nate doesn't have another check-up until May, but I will let you know what is going on with this crazy boy before then! If he comes to mind, please pray the cancer will stay away forever. Also pray for a little guy I have been following and praying for. His name is James. He was diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma around the same time Nate was diagnosed. His web page www.jamesrunde.com They are from G'boro and a strong Christian family. I know they would covet your prayers for their 4 year old son. Thank you again.
Love, Sarah

Change Your Bookmarks

2006-11-10T23:03:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone,
We mentioned this several months ago but if you have this site bookmarked as nathansmoke.com you need to change it to nathansmoke.blogspot.com

We announced several months back that we were planning to let the nathansmoke.com domain expire and utilize the free and easy to manage blogger domain

As of 2/5/07 nathansmoke.com will not get you here. So to keep up with Nates progress make sure your bookmark is set to:
nathansmoke.blogspot.com

Regards,
Scott Jones
(former web mangler for NathanSmoke.com)

"Looks Good"

2006-08-27T22:17:00.000-04:00

Nate received the results of his tests on Thursday and everything "looks good!" He did very well through it all. He doesn't like the chest x-ray because they strap him to a board and he can not move. He just cries when they strap him on and I just have to look on and try not to cry myself. This time the x-ray tech would say, "just a little bit longer" and Nate would respond in the middle of his cries with an "otay." Those of you who know Nate, know his little Buckwheat "otay." It was so precious and the techs couldn't help but smile in his distress. Nate did wonderful through his ultrasound and not too bad during his check-up. By check-up time he was tired, hungry (he is not allowed to eat before his test), and ready to go home. Thank you for praying for Nate and for the cancer not to return. God is good!
Love, Nathan and Sarah

One year...

2006-08-06T23:56:00.000-04:00

It was a year July 27^th that Nate had his last bit of chemo. It seems so long ago. He is doing wonderful and I love to hear people say, “He doesn’t even look like he was ever sick.” Praise the Lord for his healing and His continual care and protection over Nate.

Nate is now a big brother! Natalie was born July 18^th. He is such a good brother. He has not acted jealous over Natalie one time. He is right there beside us talking in his sweet baby voice to her. He loves to kiss on her and he always wants to know, “where’s sissy?” We don’t have to worry about ever forgetting her.:) He heard one lady say that I had my own baby doll, so now he calls Natalie “baby doll.” It is precious. We have to watch him because he occasionally wants to play with her like he does his cousins…that means wrestle. All in all he does wonderful and we have been very proud of him.

Nate has his next set of test Aug. 24^th. We continue to pray for God to keep the cancer away. Thank you all for your continual prayers.

Love, Nathan and Sarah

NathanSmoke.com

2006-07-15T23:57:00.000-04:00

NathanSmoke.com
Well, our Nate turned two today!! It's hard to believe he is two years old. He had a very happy birthday. He celebrated with his grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. He has been so excited about today. He tells everyone he is going to have a party and that he is going to get prizes. I love it!! He just grins ear to ear when you talk to him about his birthday and he has waited in anticipation for today. He had a wonderful day and I think it was well worth the wait to him. He got many special toys but his Thomas the train made the top of the list. He has been such a blessing and we have enjoyed seeing him grow up. He talks so much and he has such a lively personality. Have I mentioned how much we love him!!?? Being a mommy and a daddy has been so rewarding. We couldn't ask the Lord for a greater blessing. We love you Nate-Nate. Happy Birthday!!
Love, Nathan and Sarah

Picture info

2006-06-03T22:25:00.000-04:00

NathanSmoke.com
I have to explain a few of the new pictures. The picture of Nate with the two beautiful girls is Nate with his twin cousins Paige and Reagan. That was Easter morning and Nate and Reagan both had fevers. Poor kids, we still dressed them up and took them to church, but we did not put them in the nursery to infect the others! The picture of Nate playin in the water bucket is actually him playing in our dog Annies water "bowl."His hair is wet because he put his face down in the bucket to drink the water like Annie does. We were not fast enough to get that picture! Nate sleeping in the bed is his first night in his toddler bed. Nate with the funny hat on is just mommy having fun. He reminds me of Wee Willie Winkle in those PJs. The other pictures are just candids of Nate. Thank you Scott for posting those pics!!
Sarah

NathanSmoke.com

2006-06-03T22:16:00.000-04:00

NathanSmoke.com

We finally received the official word that all Nate’s test are clear of cancer! Praise the Lord. His blood pressure was high at the clinic and we took him to have it checked again this past week and it was still in the 95%. The nephrologists just want to keep monitoring it through out his check-ups with his pediatrician and the clinic. They believe it is because he only has the one kidney and it is still learning to do the work of two. Just keep him in your prayers that it will never be a problem that needs "dealing with."
And yes, my son is already off to college!! Time is flying by with this little guy. We took him to a park that has little kiddie rides and he rode them all by himself. I kept telling Nathan it looks so weird seeing him on these rides and so far away from his mommy!! He should be in my lap :) It is a good thing that he is getting more independent and braver away from Nathan and me. When I told my mom about it she said, "just wait till he’s sixteen and you see him drive off in the car by himself." Well, at least I have about 14 more years to prepare myself for such nausea. Thank you all again for your prayers. Nate sends his love.
Love, Nathan and Sarah

New Pics of Nathan!

2006-06-03T01:06:00.000-04:00

Click the "Photo Gallery" Link in the right hand menu to see a few new pics of Nathan.

(Seems like only yesterday he was a baby - now he's driving off to college)

Regards,
Scott

Waiting for results

2006-05-27T21:24:00.000-04:00

NathanSmoke.com
Well, I have not received the official word on the outcome of Nate's scans, but during his ultrasound the tech said everything looked great. That is always good to hear before you leave the hospital. Nate did WONDERFUL! So that made the day go by so much faster. I was very proud of him. I will post the official word that everything looks good as soon as I hear those words myself :) Thank you again for praying for Nate.
Nathan and Sarah

X-ray and ultrasound

2006-05-22T17:09:00.000-04:00

NathanSmoke.com
Nate is having his x-ray and ultrasound this Thursday instead of in June. Please keep us in your prayers on Thursday. It can make for a long day sometimes, so pray it goes fast. Mainly pray that everything shows up normal. Thank you
Sarah

Long time, no wirte....sorry!

2006-05-11T21:54:00.000-04:00

It has been a while since I have updated the blog. Nate is doing wonderful and growing up so fast. He talks all the time, some we understand and some we don’t. He is such a happy little guy and full of energy. We can see him acting like such little boy each day. He carries his sticks around and hits the trees and he loves our dog Annie. He just cackles at her and thinks she is the greatest. He is starting to sleep in his toddler bed this week and doing a great job. I wish time would slow down and he would stay our little boy longer.

He went for a check-up the other day and received five shots. He is now on the path of getting caught up with his immunizations. He did great though. He is so tough. He had two bloody, scratched up knees the other day and we had no clue he had even fallen outside. He scares us a little bit with his dare-devil personality, but we just keep reminding ourselves he will heal if he gets hurt! He goes back to Brenner in June for his next round of scans. Our prayer and belief is that everything is great and there is no cancer.

We will have new pictures of Nate for you soon. He is so big and very handsome, if I say so myself :) Thank you for your continual prayer for our little guy. He is a blessing to us and we love him so much.

Love, Nathan and Sarah

Nate is doing great

2006-03-18T22:47:00.000-05:00

It’s hard to believe Nate is 20 months old. Where does the time go? He is doing so great and is learning new things everyday. We enjoyed the beautiful weather last weekend. We played outside every available minute. He was a happy little boy!

I am having trouble keeping this blog updated for fear of boring you all. Nate is just doing so well, and Praise the Lord, nothing is going on but the normal daily routine. One of the many funny things he does now is mimic anything Daddy does. He has watched his Daddy put gel in his hair and rub it all around. So now after I have his hair nicely combed he reaches up and messes it all up, smiling, because he thinks he is doing what Daddy does. The other day I walked in the bathroom and Nathan was washing his face in the sink, and there Nate was watching him and pretending he had water on his hands and rubbing his face like he was washing it. I love it! Nate wants to please and he says thank you for everything. We could be feeding him his dinner, and after each bite he will say “thank you.” It’s hard to explain to him that he doesn’t have to tell us thank you after each bite. He is such a joy and he keeps us laughing. We continue to pray the Lord will keep Nate cancer free. I know He will!

Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate

Nate's scans went well!

2006-02-17T20:32:00.000-05:00

Nate had his chest x-ray and ultrasound today. I have not heard the results from the chest x-ray yet, but the ultrasound came back clear from any “problems.” I think that no news is good news with the x-ray. Nate is still doing great. We got a way for a few days to the mountains. He enjoyed the snow and tubing. At first he said, “No, no, no, no…” all the way down the hill. Then he started saying, “Woo, woo, woo, woo…” I’ll have to put some new pictures up of him in the snow. He is saying more and more each day, some we understand and some we have no clue. My favorite is when he goes around the house singing. It is so precious. We are trying to teach him his colors. Right now everything is red. He will even argue that something is red when it’s green or blue. And when we say let’s count, he counts using the word red. He points to each object we are counting and says, red, red, red…. Yes, he is the next child prodigy! We have a good time. Continue to pray for Nate. He does not have to go back to the doctor till May!!! And thank you also for praying for my dad. He is doing much better.

With love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate

Please Update Your Bookmarks!

2006-02-10T22:33:00.000-05:00

Hello all.
For reasons outlined in an earlier post we moved Nates blog to: http://nathansmoke.blogspot.com/ (Which is where you are right now)
The blog will continue but we are not going to renew the NathanSmoke.com domain which means...

If you have this site book marked as
NathanSmoke.com
you need to change that bookmark to
http://nathansmoke.blogspot.com

Regards,
Scott

NathanSmoke.com

2006-01-29T22:29:00.000-05:00

The past few weeks have been very busy. Nate has been doing wonderful. He keeps us laughing all the time. He had a check up in the middle of January and everything looked great. He goes for a chest x-ray and ultrasound mid February. We continue to pray he is cancer free. Life in general has been busy though. My brother Matthew had surgery on his leg about a week and a half ago to remove a vascular tumor. Praise the Lord is was not cancerous and he is just waiting to heal. My dad has been sick and it has landed him in the hospital for the past 5 days. Please pray for him and that he will get well soon. (His name is DonnieJ ) Let’s see…Nate got sick last Sunday afternoon. We were out eating lunch after church and he was a little whiney and I just thought he was tired. Well thankfully we had finished eating when he decided to show everyone what was in his stomach. And I got the privilege of wearing most of it. Why couldn’t Nathan have been holding him??!! Nate is feeling better though. On a bright note, my brother’s wife is expecting a little one in June, my other brother’s wife is expecting a little one in September, and I am expecting a little one in July. Do not drink the water here in G’boro, or get a filter!! Thankfully Nate is still too little to understand that he will have a brother of sister. Unlike my nephew Caleb who told me that “a baby sister will make me sad, but a baby brother will make me happy.” He is now happy b/c he is getting a brother. He told the ultrasound tech. that his baby brother looked like a lizard. Such knowledge from a 3 year old. Anyways, as you can see life has been a bit busy, but we are so thankful for the Lord’s never ending goodness. Continue to pray for Nate and that the cancer will never return, and pray for my dad.

We love you, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate-Nate

NathanSmoke.com

2005-12-29T21:11:00.000-05:00

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. We certainly did! It was nice getting to spend time with family and watching Nate enjoy all the Christmas celebration. He has been doing so well, we just thank the Lord each day. He has loved the Christmas trees and "balls" on the trees. But I believe his favorite of all is the lights. One evening we were out with my parents and sister in law and my nephew Caleb and my dad decided to go and look at the Christmas lights on the houses. Well, all we kept hearing in the car was "wow...wow...wow...wow!" It was so funny. We then went to this neighborhood that had thousands of balls that lit up all through the trees. It was so awesome. Well the two little guys couldn't see the lights because they were too far up. So my dad got the genius idea to open the sunroof and let the boys look at the lights while standing up in the sunroof. So here we go down the street, about 5mph, with Caleb standing on the console and my mom holding Nate up through the sunroof. All we could hear again was "wow...wow...wow!" It was a moment I wished I had my video camera.
As our Christmas day came to an end our home looked like Toys R us. We may never need to buy Nate another toy till he is at least five.When we ask him if he had a good Christmas, he shakes his head yes and says, "yep." He has brought so much joy to our lives. They can steal your heart in a second and keep it forever. It is amazing that the Lord would send His only Son to this world to die for us. His love amazes me more and more each day. Thank you for your prayers and please continue to pray Nate's cancer will never return!
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate

NathanSmoke.com

2005-12-12T17:16:00.000-05:00

Nate has been doing so well! He is now sleeping through most of the night and he is eating like a big boy. God is Good! Each day he is doing something new and funny and Nathan and I stay laughing. The other night he ran back and forth in front of us for at least 15 minutes, he was just smiling and laughing and thinking he was something great...which he is. My husband and I kept looking at each other laughing and saying, "What is he doing?" He is becoming his smiley self again and we are so thankful. Nate goes Thursday for a basic check-up and blood work. Please pray everything will continue to be great. He is loving Christmas time. He could stay outside and look at the lights on the houses for hours. He loves the Christmas trees and ornaments (to him they are balls). He makes life so much fun. We got to visit with Jacob and his family this weekend. Jacob looks wonderful and his mom said she had forgotten how much energy he had. He also has a check-up Thursday so remember to pray for him too. Thank you all for your continued prayers.
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate

NathanSmoke.com

2005-11-27T20:43:00.000-05:00

We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Nate had a tough Thanksgiving day. We had to take him to the emergency room because he was having trouble breathing. He had woken up Wednesday morning with a cold, then that night he was breathing very heavy, like he couldn't catch his breath. The doctor was not sure why he was having so much trouble breathing and why he was wheezing. They think it may be a chest cold and because his right diaphragm does not function it was more difficult for him to get the deep breaths that he needed. They gave him a breathing treatment and some steroids to help open him up and it worked miracles. He has been doing great since then and has not had anymore problems. He did have his port removed last Monday. It went well and Nate was up and running around in a few hours. The Lord has done wonderful things for our family this year and we praise Him for His mercies that are new each day.
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate

NathanSmoke.com

2005-11-27T20:19:00.000-05:00

November 20
Well Nate will finally have his port removed Monday morning, bright and early! He had a chest x-ray and ultrasound on Thursday and everything looked great. Praise the Lord!! I apologize for the lack of blogs lately. I am not the most computer savvy person, so I have clicked on every link possible to figure out how this works for me to post. I thought I did a post correct last week, but it is not here anymore, so I do not know what I am doing. Hopefully I have it figured out. I realize it is not rocket-science!!
Nate is doing so great. He is learning more and more each day. He now shakes his head yes to everything we ask him. So I always ask him," do you love mommy"? And he looks so sincere and shakes his head "yes." It does wonders for your heart! What a blessing he is to us and we do not take one day for granted. Continue to lift Nate up to the Lord. We have so much to be thankful for and I want to let you know how thankful we are to you all as you have carried us through by your prayers. What a blessing and encouragement you have been to our family. Happy Thanksgiving!
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate

2005-11-13T15:17:00.000-05:00

Nate has been doing great. We have enjoyed the beautiful fall weather. He loves to be outside, so that is where we spend much of our days. He will go this Thursday to have his next set of scans. We have opted not to do a CT scan but just a chest x-ray and abdominal ultrasound. He also meets with the surgeon on Thursday to set a date to remove his port-a-cath. We have been playing the waiting game when it comes to removing his port. We have received wonderful news about his buddy Jacob. He had his first set of scans last week and everything looked free of cancer. Praise the Lord for that answer to prayer. God is Good! Not much is going on here in the Smoke household. We do have another praise. Nate made it through the whole nursery time at church without Mommy and Daddy. That has been a work in progress and a "real treat" for the nursery workers. We kind of thought once chemo was over life would go back to "normal" as we new it to be, but that has not been the case. Nate still has many pounds to gain and he is not a fan of eating, so he is still sitting on 19 lbs. and a few ounces. Though he does have plenty of energy. Continue to pray for him when he comes to mind. He is such blessing to us and we thank the Lord each day for entrusting him to us. May God bless you.
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate

We've Had A Face Lift

2005-10-29T12:58:00.000-04:00

Hello Friends of Nate,
This is Scott Jones, site admin for NathanSmoke.com.
You probably were a bit surprised by the new look of Nate's site. Let me explain.

Due to some "not-so-nice" people auto spamming the previous blog I had to pull that one down and I have moved to this new version which hopefully *crosses fingers* has better spam filtering capabilities.

The downside is that I had to somewhat crudely copy over posts and comments from the first blog so we didn't lose any history. I tried to organize it by month to make it a bit easier to follow.

The upside is that this blog should be easier to navigate and (hopefully) avoid the spam.

More later as I link to earlier photo galleies etc.

P.S. I will show as "Chief Show Officer" on this blog because I already run another blog account - don't let it throw you... :^)

Oct 2005

2005-10-22T12:20:00.000-04:00

2005/10/22 @ 00:49:33 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Nate had a check-up Thursday and everything was fine. He is sick though. He started running a fever Wed. night and here it is Friday night and he still has it. He received some antibiotics through his port-a-cath to prevent any infection that might settle in his port. Though his blood cultures have come back negative from any bacteria, so they think he just has a “bug” that should run its course. He definately does not feel well, but he is still on the go, just moaning as he goes. On Thursday I was sadly reminded of the days that Nate had his radiation treatments. It is about an hour drive to the hospital and during the days of his treatments he would usually get sick on the way home and throw-up. Thursday he cried most of the way home and then got to coughing and then got sick. I had forgotten to a certain degree how bad those days were at times. I am so thankful they are not often!
We saw Jacob’s mom while we were at the hospital. He finished his last round of chemo today! Continue to pray for him. They will have his CT scan within the next few weeks. It is a sobering thought when the Doctor tells you that if the cancer does show up with in the next few months that it’s not very hopeful for any future treatments to work. Though my God’s power does not limit itself to chemo or radiation. And I have to remind myself daily of that amazing and truthful fact.
Love, Nathan & Sarah
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2005/10/16 @ 23:42:59 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
We did get another answer to prayer this last week. The insurance comp. and hospital “worked out their differences.” So if Nate’s check-up goes well this Thursday we will go ahead and schedule to remove his port-a-cath. Nate is doing great. He has been a little extra whiney these past few days. I think he is cutting about 4 teeth right now so he has a valid excuse. He mimics just about everything we do...he tries to blow bubbles with his imaginary gum, and he thinks mommy is his sweetheart and doesn’t like daddy to hug or kiss mommy unless mommy hugs and kisses him too. Just one more thing on Nate’s list that he has to share...1. Trucks 2. Doggy
3. Ball 4. Mommy. It’s tough being little!
Please continue to pray for Nate. He is having a difficult time with seperation from us. We can not get out of eye sight with out him crying like he is scared. Also pray that we will have wisdom as parents and do what’s best for Nate. Thank you for continually praying for Nate. God is still answering prayers everyday.
Love, Nathan and Sarah
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2005/10/09 @ 23:37:54 [ 2 comments - Edit - Delete ]
Five New Pics of Nate by admin (admin), in General
See the Photo Gallery for a few new pics of Nate

comments

Sabrina Peschke - email
He is SO precious! We are continuing to pray for him daily! We hope all is well with all of you, Praise God for all he’s done!
Hugs, and Love,
The Peschke Family
10.10.05 @ 15:44

Christa Wetzel - email
Sarah,
Hi, it’s one of your long-lost sweetmates from PCC. I was reading the Alumni stuff and was reading about your son. I don’t know why, but your name just popped off the page. I want you to know you and your family are being prayed for by an old friend. Love ya,
Christa
10.15.05 @ 17:50

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2005/10/03 @ 20:53:38 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Nate’s check-up on the 22nd went well. His blood test looked great and everything is just about to normal. He will go back for another check-up at the end of October. We have not scheduled surgery to remove his port-a-cath yet. The hospital and insurance company are still “talking.” If they don’t get things resolved by the end of the year we will schedule to have the surgery done locally. That is matter of prayer because lots of people, including us and Jacob’s family, will start having to pay out-of-network cost if they do not come to terms.
Nate has finally decided to walk!! We have enjoyed watching him. The other day I took a double take as he came walking into the kitchen, I forgot he could walk. I love it though, now when we go outside to play I don’t have to carry him everywhere. We went and visited Jacob in the hospital last Friday. He just finished his 5 day treatment. He seemed to be doing very well. He had one bad night in the hospital, but most of the days he was okay. He only has one more 3 day treatment left. They are thrilled! Continue to pray for him, he is a precious boy.
On Saturday the hospital had a special day for the oncology floor. They invited the children to the Victory Junction Camp. (The camp was created for children with medical needs.) We took Nate and he loved it. There were animals and cars...the boy was in heaven. I know I have said it before, but I PROMISE I am going to post some recent pictures of Nate. He has hair that actually blows in the wind now! Though it’s white, so you can still hardly see it. Oh well, it’s there, and I brush it and put gel in it just because I can!! Thank you all for your continual prayers for Nate. He is doing great! Continue to pray for him.
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate

comments

Sabrina Peschke - email - url
I am so happy to hear how well Nate has been doing! I will continue to keep him, and you all in my daily prayers. I am glad to hear that his buddy is doing better, and have added him, as well as his family to my prayers also. Looking forward to the new pics. Also, my son is getting over his leg infection, he seems to be doing very well!
Hugs, and Love, The Peschkes in IL
10.04.05 @ 00:27

Aug/Sept 2005 (archives)

2005-08-01T12:18:00.000-04:00

2005/09/12 @ 12:54:14 [ 4 comments - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Nate has been doing great. He is so much fun and he is learning new things everyday. He has learned some more words like truck, train, and grandma. He loves animals and to “wrestle.” Instead of calming him down before he goes to bed, he loves to wrestle each night and then go to bed. If I put him to bed with out wrestling with him, he will sit back up and growl at me. That means it’s on and it’s time to growl and “throw him around.” He is ALL boy. He is not walking on his own yet, but it will not be long. He enjoys climbing up our stairs and we always stay right behind him in case he falls. He thinks we are chasing him because we stay behind him and he starts trying to “run” up the stairs and squealing all the way up. Everything is a game. He goes for a check up the 22nd of this month. I’m guessing they will just do blood work and give him a basic check up. Please continue to pray for him, and that the Lord will continue to keep him cancer free.
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate

comments

Sabrina - email - url
Thank you for the update! We’ve been checking the site often. It’s so wonderful to hear how great he’s doing! Has he had his port removed yet? We are praying for yours, and Nate’s strentgh daily! Praise to the Lord for all he’s done!
Love,
The Peschke’s in IL
PS. We have a little boy as well, 15 months who has a staph infection in his leg right now, please pray for him. Thank You.
09.13.05 @ 11:23

Suzi Blake Draayer - email
Sarah, I had no idea. I just found out your struggle today. I will be praying for your family. May the Lord be glorified. You have a beautiful family.
With Love and Prayers,
Suzi Blake Draayer
09.22.05 @ 12:44

Angie Rush - email
Every since I ran into you and your mom in the fabric store, I have wondered about your baby. I tried to visit the website that you told me about but was never able get through. I stumbled upon this website just today and read through your logs. I have prayed for your baby, so I was excited to read that he is doing so well. You’re right....God is a GREAT God. The hard times that we experience in life are to teach that. You have done remarkably. I will continue to pray for little Nate. I’m so happy for your family.
09.24.05 @ 12:33

Steve Miller - email
Hey Sarah,
I went to school with you at PCC. I am friends with Wes C. and Adam E. Adam told be about your website. Me and my wife just had our first child, and now I understand the love for your own children that I have always heard about. I never imagined I could love something so much. My heart goes out to you and your family, and you all will definitely be in my prayers. God will provide a way.
Steve Miller
10.03.05 @ 16:54

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2005/08/25 @ 23:10:59 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
I just want to give a quick update on Nate’s buddy Jacob. He has been in the hospital this week because he has a high fever and swimmers ear. His ear has caused him a lot of pain this week. He has had to have more blood transfusions and his white count is still extremely low. Please continue to pray for him and his family.
Love, Sarah
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2005/08/25 @ 23:07:42 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
My apologies for not posting the wonderful news we received!! Nate’s scans came back with no signs of any new tumors or areas of concern!!! We praise the Lord and have been praising Him for the wonderful news. He will go every 3 months, for a year, and continue to have CT Scans. They will then drop to twice a year and then to just once a year. He will not be considered in remission until he has gone 6 years with clear scans. We are now waiting for his appointment to remove his port-a-cath. That is not that big of a deal, we just want it gone! Nate has been doing wonderful. He is getting his fun loving personality back and his smile has only gotten bigger and more mischievous. He still does not sleep that well at night, and his appetite has not returned as soon as we had hoped, but no complaints...just areas to continue to pray. We just continue praising the Lord for carrying us through these past seven months. Your prayers for Nate have been answered and we can not thank you enough for taking the time to pray for him. I know that a lot of children have prayed for Nate and I want to tell each one of you that God has answered each one of your prayers. Always remember that our God is a GREAT God and nothing is too big or too little to talk to Him about. It has touched my heart and brings tears to my eyes when I recall the children that have told me they pray for Nate alone and with their families. What a wonderful lesson to learn young...God answers prayers! You have all been a special part of Nate’s life, even if he has never met you personally. Though if you have accepted the Lord as your personal Savior, Nate will meet you in heaven someday. (I know that, because we are praying, believing that Nate will accept the Lord as his Savior when he is old enough to know he needs the Lord!) We thank you and will keep you updated as Nate now begins to catch up on his weight and development.
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate

comments

Sabrina - email - url
I am so glad to hear all went well for little Nate. I was worried about the sedation, but figured after all, No news is Good News! We will continue to keep you all in our prayers! Have a wonderful celebration! In Christian Love, The Peschke’s from IL
08.26.05 @ 22:52

2005/08/12 @ 22:47:52 [ 2 comments - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Well, we went to get Nate’s CT scan today, and 4 hours later we left with no scans taken. Nate was given his sedation medicine and taken back to the scan room. As they were about to begin the scans the nurse said his oxygen dropped too much and they had to wake him up. I am not going to go into great detail, but I will say that a lot of things went wrong that should not have happened. Then they proceed to tell me that Nate will now have to be put under anesthesia for all his future scans. Needless to say neither Nathan nor I agreed about that decision. The Lord intervened when they called me at home and said that they rescheduled his scan for the 18th with light sedation as usual. It was a long day full of boring details, but the end was just as we had prayed. Please keep Nate in your prayers.
Nathan, Sarah, and Nate

comments

Diane - email
Hello Smoke family: I am sorry ya’ll had to go thru' such a long day and no scans....but we will be praying for you on the 18th. We already know the scans will show no evidence of any cancer!
I am amazed that the 7 months is over...ya’ll have come thru' a bit exhausted but I know prepared to take on whatever God has for you. I , and many others, have been inspired by your walk with God during this time...thank you for sharing it with us on the weblog.

Love,
Di
08.13.05 @ 07:26

Megan tucker - email
Hi Smoke family,
You may not know me but I go to vandalia christian school. When I heard about the basketball they were putting on ebay for lil nate I was touched!! Everyone at school talkes about Lil Nate!! I pray for him every night before i go to bed. I have heard so much about nate. I hope he gets better soon!!
In His Service,
Megan Brooke tucker age:11 1/2
08.17.05 @ 15:15
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2005/08/06 @ 15:53:54 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Praise the Lord the chemo is over!!! Nate finished his chemo July 24th and he finished his shots Aug. 3rd. He is doing wonderful and we are so thankful it is almost all behind us. We go Aug. 12th for Nate to have his CT Scan and possible bone scan. If, or should I say when, the scans look good they will set up an appt. to remove his port-a-cath. We have tried so hard not wish these past seven months away, but I am so thankful the end is here. We got to go away this past week to the beach, and Nate had a super time playing with his cousins. We could tell he didn’t feel 100% well at the first of the week, but by the end he was full throttle...and still going! Thank you for your continual prayers. Please pray that the scans will go well this Friday. We love you and thank you!
Nathan, Sarah, and Nate

June/July 2005 (archives)

2005-06-01T12:16:00.000-04:00

2005/07/26 @ 11:10:56 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
by lenora (lenora), in General
HI GUYS! JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW HOW HAPPY WE ARE THAT THIS IS FINALLY GOING TO BE OVER FOR YOU. NATE YOU AND YOUR MOMMY HAVE BEEN SUCH AN INSPIRATION TO OUR WHOLE OFFICE. YOU ARE ALWAYS IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. MAY GOD BLESS AND KEEP EACH OF YOU,
DR. MATTHEWS AND STAFF

comments

Somer (Moyer) John - email
Sarah, Nathan, & Nate,
My family, as well as my church family has been praying for you for sometime now. We are so excited to hear that chemo treatments are finally over!!! We know the Lord has healed little Nate and we praise Him for His power and mercy! Everyone at church continally asks me how things are going and your family has been such a testimony to us all. Thanks for keeping us posted and we will continue to pray that the Lord uses Nate in a special way. Love, Somer, Bryan, Maddy, and Nathan
07.27.05 @ 10:07
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2005/07/24 @ 17:28:50 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
Posted for Sarah by Admin by admin (admin), in General
It is our last day of chemo, and we pray the last chemo Nate ever has to undergo. He has done fairly well. He gets sick each morning, but he seems to feel better as the day goes by. We got hit with a bit of a problem when we came to check Nate in on Friday. We were informed that since Nate was now one years old that he was not going to have his dose of chemo halved, but that he was going to get a full dose. When the nurse first mentioned that to me it made me really nervous. He had only been 1 for a week, and his weight and height had not changed since his last round of chemo 8 days ago. I couldn’t imagine giving him 50% more, and for the last treatment. Nathan and I prayed about it and we just didn’t have a peace about the situation so I asked to talk with Nate’s doctor to let him know our concern. The doctor understood and agreed that sometimes there is not much science behind chemo, but just protocol. I explained that Nathan and I did not have a peace about the extra chemo and that we believe the Lord has already healed Nate and that it was not necessary. Nate’s doctor is also a Christian and he said he too believed the Lord has healed Nate. He asked to pray for Nate before he left. It was just what we needed. His prayer was such an encouragement, to hear him thank the Lord for Nate’s healing and to pray that Nate would come to know the Lord as his personal Savior. I know the Lord’s hand has been on every situation Nate has faced and the Lord has given us the strength each time. As a parent, you want what is the very best for your child. We didn’t have a peace about the extra chemo, but Satan was still there trying to make me doubt my faith in the Lord’s healing. The Lord knew I needed Nate’s doctor to help give me the extra assurance that can only be found in the Lord. He always brings that “peace that passeth all understanding.” God has been good each step of the way. Thank you for praying for Nate and our family.
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate
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2005/07/20 @ 22:52:40 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
We just want to post a huge thank you to so many people who have given to us for Nate. Many of you did not leave return addresses and I know that Nathan’s graduating class at H.P. sent a very special card to us, and we just want to say a huge thank you for your thoughtfullness. Every card and note has encouraged us each day. The constant reminder of letting us know that others are praying gives us a hope that only comes from the Lord. We thank you and love you all.
May God bless you and your families
Nathan, Sarah, and Nate
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2005/07/20 @ 22:44:27 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Well Nate is now a whopping 1 year old!! Where does the time go? We had a birthday party/no more chemo party. It was a very special day. His LAST round of chemo is this weekend. Praise the Lord! Somedays it seemed like this day would neve come. I am amazed at how he just gets stronger and stronger and wilder and crazier...it is so much fun! He even has blonde fuzz growing on his head now. I can not wait to see him with hair. He won’t look like the same Nate. After this chemo we will go back and have a CT scan and a bone scan to see if there is any more cancer...which I know there is not. Then they will set up a surgery to remove his port-a-cath. And we will not darken the walls of the hospital for another 3 months!!! They did a echocardiogram our last visit to see if his heart was damaged by the chemo (that is a side effect of one of the chemos he gets), and to God’s glory everything looked wonderful. They also did an ultrasound of his abdomen, and that also looked great. The Lord is good, and He answers prayers. Thank you for your fervent prayers for Nate. I know the Lord has something wonderful planned for his life, and we look forward to seeing the Lord use Nate’s life for whatever He wills. Keep us in your prayes as Nate goes to the hospital this weekend. Thank you.
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate
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2005/07/09 @ 11:24:41 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
Posted for Sarah by Admin by admin (admin), in General
Nate is doing wonderful here at the hospital. You would never know he was getting chemo. It is truly amazing. Today he was playing with Jake and his brother Tyler. Just watching Nate play with them was so eye opening. I think my baby grew up over night. Nate acted like he was as big as they were, driving the toy car around in the air and on the ground making his car noises. Where has the time gone?! Nate will be one year old a week from today. These past six months have been a blurr. It seems like yesterday and then at times it seems like an eternity. We are just so thankful that Nate is doing so great. God has been so good to us. We hope to have some new pictures on the website soon. Nate still weighs less than he did when he was 6 months old, but he is so long...or at least he looks long because he is so thin. After this chemo is over he will be a chunker in no time! Continue to keep him in your prayers.
Love, Nathan and Sarah
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2005/07/07 @ 09:50:01 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
Update from Sarah - Posted by Admin by admin (admin), in General
We took Nate to see the Doctors about his cough and fever and they are going to let us ride it out. We are soooo thankful they did not find need to keep him in the hospital over the weekend. We got to check into the hospital today for his LAST 5 day treatment. As much as we dreaded coming we are so thankful this is the final month. Nate is still doing wonderful. He is a busy, busy boy. He only stops to sleep, and even that doesn’t last that long. We praise the Lord he is doing so well. Nate’s buddy Jacob is here this week as well. He will be here all week for his 5 day treatment. He had to be hospitalized again for 4 days because he had a high fever and they did another blood transfusion. Please keep him in your prayers this week as well. Thank you all for praying. Words can not express how thankful we are that you have prayed so fervently for Nate. Please know that God has answered each! prayer above and beyond what we have all asked of Him.
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate
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2005/06/29 @ 20:25:42 [ 2 comments - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Nate is doing okay. We are going to take him tomorrow to the doctor to check about his cough and he has started pulling on his ear. We just pray he does not have an infection that will cause him to be hospitalized. He seems like he is feeling fine and he is still a very busy boy. We will keep you posted. Thanks for your prayers
Love, Nathan and Sarah

comments

Diane - email
Hey Sarah:

I hope little Nate doesn’t have an ear infection...we will pray special prayers for him.

I worked day hours today at Belk and saw several of your “old” customers and they are all so inquisitive about Nate. I am glad that I have the posts from you to keep everyone updated . Glenda and Pat S. send their love and we also have some paper gifts for you in the register.

We all love you very much and miss you! Oh, Lou Ford sends her love and prayers...we will all be praying that Nate’s next two treatments go quickly and smoothly and will look forward to seeing you all soon.

Much love,
Di
07.02.05 @ 21:51

Dane White - email
Hello Smoke Family,

You guys don’t know me, but I am the father of Peyton White. Peyton was diagnosed in December 2003 with CCSK stage III and after reading Nathan’s story, I felt compelled to write you. Peyton is doing very well and on the 14 th of July will be one year post chemo and ironically will have scans that day. I just wanted to write you guys to tell you that we will add Nathan to are prayer list, and let you know we will be praying for you guys. We worship a loving God and he will get you through the rough times, he came through for us as he always does. Peyton has a web site on caringbridge. www.caringbridge.org tx peytonwhite. Again we will be praying for Nathan and your family. If we can help you with anything please email me.. We are not experts, but have traveled down the same path with Peyton. Dane White.
07.05.05 @ 14:58
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2005/06/28 @ 15:38:16 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Yet another apology for not posting a message sooner. Days stay so busy that I am fortunate to sit down long enough to type. Nate is doing good. He has been running a fever off and on the past few days and he has a cough. We pray that it will pass by and not be a problem. We go in next week for a week long of chemo. Next to last treatment! We just praise the Lord that the end is in site. This will be a short message because I am trying to type with Nate in my lap and it is not an easy task. We are enjoying our week though. We went with daddy on his business trip so that we could have a change of pace. It has been very nice and relaxing. We have decided to go on all his trips. : ) Please continue to pray for Nate. We thank you so much for your prayers.
Love, Nathan and Sarah
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2005/06/19 @ 16:11:43 [ 2 comments - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Hi there! Nate had a wonderful 3 days at the hospital. It was the best one yet. He never got sick and he acted like he was on the playground more than at a hospital. He did great and we are so thankful for the Lord’s protection. Our biggest hurdle is coming home from the hospital and trying to get him to sleep through the night. He likes to see each hour of the night...we’re guessing he thinks he may miss something exciting. It’s difficult because we don’t know if his body aches and that is why he is waking up, or if his stomach is upset, or all of the above. Please pray he will rest well. We also saw Jacob last week and he was doing much better. Thank you for praying for him. Our Lord answers prayer!
Love, Nathan and Sarah

comments

Diane - email
Hey sarah:

Seems like Nathan gets stronger with each treatment...now that truly is God’s hand on him... hope you can get the sleep thing worked out. I know you are exhausted.

We are so glad to hear that Jacob is doing better. Please tell his family that we are praying for him.

Have a wonderful week.

Love, Di
06.21.05 @ 07:07

Kimmy - email
I know you don’t know me, but i know that the lord answers prayers, for a fact. And i pray that Nathan will rest well.
06.24.05 @ 13:45
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2005/06/13 @ 21:35:35 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
Posted for Sarah by admin (admin), in General
Hi! Our home computer has seen better days, so I have not been able to get online this past week. We checked into the hospital today and will be here till Wednesday. Nate has been doing wonderful. I can not praise the Lord enough for his continual answers to our prayers and your prayers. We did not dread this visit as much because we now see the light at the end of the tunnel. I think Nate enjoys being here because he gets to sit and play with Mommy around the clock. Mrs. Bonnie and Matthew Weatherford from our church came with us today to check into the hospital. It was nice having extra hands to help lug all the stuff around and help keep Nate happy. It helped make the day go by with less stress. We continue to pray that this round of treatment will be easy on Nate and not make him sick. The other little boy Jacob, that I had mentioned before (he has the same type of cancer as Nate), is not doing very well. His mother called me last week and told me they had just gotten home from the hospital. He was admitted for 5 days because he had a high fever and infection. I couldn’t imagine having to stay an unexpected 5 days at the hospital...it is very trying on you mentally. He had to have 2 blood transfusions during his visit. A normal white blood cell count for children is between 8 and 11. The lowest Nate’s has ever been was around 2.6. Jacobs got down to 0.2. He basically had no immunity. He comes in tomorrow for his next round of chemo. Please pray for this little guy and his family. The treatments are very difficult for his body to handle. I know the Lord can help him through this just like he has helped Nate. His grace has no measure!! Thank you for all your prayers. God is so good to us each and every day.
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate

comments

Joanie and Michael - email
Hey Sarah, Nathan and Nate, I am so sorry we missed the Fundraiser. I didn’t know about it til now. I hope Nate’s treatment went well and didn’t make him sick. We’ve (Mike and I) got to get over there to see you guys. And always remember, I babysit for free. And, I have references (Travis and Lauren, ha ha). Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help. If you ever need another extra hand for his treatments, let me know. I have plenty of vacation time left and would be glad to go. We continue to pray for all of you, as we will for Jacob too. Joanie and Michael Holmes
06.16.05 @ 13:12
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2005/06/06 @ 22:50:14 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
This is another NO chemo week for Nate. We love these weeks. He only has to get his blood checked this week. Nate is doing wonderful. He crawls everywhere and pulls himself up on anything that will hold him, (and some things that don’t!) He talks, jabbers, and babbles all time around the house. We just laugh at him as he talks to his toys. Children are fun! The fundraiser was a fun and special day. The cars were beautiful, it did not rain, and people gave so generously to Nate. Nate walked around with Daddy and looked at all the cars and trucks. They had a fun time together. We thank everyone so much for coming and giving to Nate. It was a wonderful day and we are so thankful. The Owens, Robersons, and many more people put many hours into the event and we appreciate all their hard work. God has blessed us so much and we thank Him for all He has given us. Continue to pray for Nate. Less than 2 months left of treatments!! Praise the Lord for his goodness and protection over Nate these past months. Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate

comments

Vicky Dudley - email
Just wanted to let you know that Nate and all of you are in our prayers. We have a wonderful Savior and I know that he is watching over all of you. We pray that God will continue to touch and heal Nate.

Love and Prayers,

Vicky ( I am David Talley’s sister-in-law)
06.08.05 @ 08:07

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2005/06/04 @ 11:51:57 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
hey sarah by lisasexton (lisasexton), in General
just heard about nate and wanted to let you know that you’re in my thoughts. i posted a comment on something else, but i’m not real sure how all this works so i’m doing this too. hope all goes really well with the fundraiser today. sorry that i can’t make it. my best to your family. tell “uncle matthew” that i said hi.

take care,
lisa sexton

May 2005 (archives)

2005-05-01T12:15:00.000-04:00

2005/05/31 @ 22:21:36 [ 2 comments - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Nate has been having a very good week so far. We are trying to get him back on his “home” schedule and not the “hospital” schedule, which takes a lot of work. He seems to be feeling okay. I think he may ache a little by the way he will moan at night. It takes a while for that yucky chemo to get out of his system. Tonight we had News 2 come and interview us about the hospital and insurance company and all the disputing that is going on between them. They also told us they would have a camera crew out Saturday to cover the fundraiser events. So come on out Saturday if you can. Nate should be there for the majority of the day to make sure everyone knows how much he appreciates their prayers for him. I also heard that they have some 200 show cars that are coming and some great items for the silent auction. I know the Owens have put a lot of work into this event and we are so excited and humbled by all the work that they and others have done. Continue to pray for Nate that he will feel better each day.
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate

comments

lisa sexton - email
sarah, remember me? heard about nate the other day and found this website. wanted you to know that you’re in my thoughts. hope all goes well with your fundraiser. sorry that i can’t make it. tell “uncle matthew” that i said hi.
take care,
lisa sexton
06.04.05 @ 11:46

Diane - email
Hey Sarah: I want to hear all about the Fundraiser and how it went! I am so sorry we were not able to be there, but we were in Richmond for Relay for Life.

How is Nate doing? Did he make it the entire day? most of the day? I hope he had a good time.

When you get a chance, I would love to hear about the fundraiser....also, is this a chemo week for Nate?

Love to all from all the Jones family.
06.06.05 @ 13:05
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2005/05/28 @ 22:11:31 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
Nathan&Sarah by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Well, I guess I did not keep the webpage as updated this past week as I had hoped. Getting to the computer at the hospital can sometimes be a challege. We are happy to report that Nate had a WONDERFUL week!! He did not get sick and he played 'round the clock. We were thrilled that it did not zap his energy and strength. The hospital visit was not too bad, though we are glad they are almost finished. He only has a total of 11 more days of treatment, 1 more 5 days and 2 more 3 days!! The time has really flown by for us and people have prayed us through each day. THANK YOU! We have been amazed at the generosity of people and the care and concern others have shown. We have been reminded you can never limit the Lord and what He can do. We could go on and on about all the goodness the Lord has shown through His people. It has touched our hearts and reminded us the necessity to lift others up in prayer and deed. Nate sends his love and prayers to you all.
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate
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2005/05/25 @ 22:35:15 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
Posted for Sarah by admin (admin), in General
We are at the hospital this week and it has been going surprisingly fast. Nate is doing super with the treatments and he is busier than ever. You would never know the little guy is going through chemo right now. He keeps pulling himself up on anything he can get his hands on and will not bend his knees for me to sit him down. We are so thankful he is doing so great. They had a golden retriever at the hospital for the kids to love on today, and Nate definitely loved on him. He just squealed and jumped up and down with excitement when he watched the dog fetch the ball. It was fun watching him be so happy. God has been taking such good care of him and I thank Him so much for his protection. God is good to us every day. Please continue to pray with us for Nate.
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate
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2005/05/22 @ 16:45:01 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Nate had a super week. It was so nice not having any chemo. He has regained a lot of his strength. He can get on his hands and knees and scoot and he can hold himself up with out getting so tired. He has been eating much better and actually opens his mouth with out our “help.” He has chemo this whole week so please pray for him. Since he has been able to regain much of his strength we are praying this week will not be as difficult as his past five day stays. This past weekend we were able to visit Nate’s great grandparents in Tennessee. He enjoyed seeing them and being outside on the farm. He is our future farmer!!! Thank you for praying for Nate. I will do my best to keep you posted while at the hospital.
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate

comments

theresa maple - email
sarah, you probably don’t remember us, but my name is theresa maple, my daughter is jamie. we just wanted to let you know that you are in our thoughts and prayers, and if there is anything we can do at any time to help, please let us know. God Bless you and your family!
05.24.05 @ 22:09
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2005/05/14 @ 22:14:07 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Nste is doing great this week. After his blood transfusion he was back to his old self. This coming week he has no, none, zero, zip, not even a smidge of chemo!! We are so excited. He just goes Monday for a blood check. Please continue to pray for him. God has been answering so... many prayers. I want to give Him more to answer! Thank you so much.
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate

comments

Marcy Jones - email
Sarah,
My name is Marcy, I worked with you at Belk-Friendly (I was with Clinique)when you were newly married, and I was pregnant with Emma, our first baby. I returned as a PC for Clinique last year, we were both pregnant with little boys, you had Nathan in July (he is sooo beautiful, congratulations!!) my Andrew was born on Sept. 13th 2004. Andrew was diagnosed with severe Hemophilia A at one month of age, and the Lord is with him each day, so I can really relate to your situation. We are patients at Brenners, and Andrew’s port surgery will likely happen when he’s a year old. I was shocked to hear about your little guy, but you are in our prayers, and I know that he will be just fine! If I can be of help to you and Nate in any way, please let me know, and we will continue to keep you all in our thoughts and prayers! Take care of yourself and kiss that baby! I have found that at the end of a discouraging day that is the best cure-all for everything!
Marcy Jones
05.16.05 @ 14:04
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2005/05/10 @ 07:24:41 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
New Fundraising Info by admin (admin), in General
Please view the fundraising link for new information.
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2005/05/09 @ 21:47:01 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Nate had his quick chemo today. I thought it was going to be a short day at the clinic, but I was mistaken. His labs showed that he needed a blood transfusion. It’s amazing how this time we had complete peace about the decision. We still prayed that the blood he was going to receive would be the best blood for him. The Lord is in control and we have to trust Him. He is doing great tonight and his cheeks are extra pink! And before I go just a quick story about Mother’s Day. Nate was very grouchy yesterday. The morning started off having him throw-up on me and himself after we were ready for church to fussing through most of the afternoon. I thought “wow, this is truly a Mother’s day.” And my PaPa said at lunch to me, “you forget all about it when they hug your neck.” I laughed and thought, “yeh, that will be a good day when that happens.” Well that night we were playing on the floor and he reached for me and hugged my neck and kept giving me kisses. It was so sweet and my PaPa was right, all was forgotten
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2005/05/06 @ 23:26:28 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Hi there. Nate is home from the hospital and doing great. He has been a little bit sick on his stomach but today he seems to be feeling better. We got 3 meals in him today, and they all stayed down, so we were very pleased. He does have chemo Monday and then he has a break for about 2 weeks. He still gets his shots after his longer treatments of chemo. We have now mastered the shot to where we only get a slight whimper and then he is back to playing. That has made the process so much easier on us.
We are looking forward to having a great Mother’s Day. I asked Nate what he got me for Mother’s day and he said “da-da.” I then asked him if “da-da” came with a gift reciept...but I am thinking he is non-refundable. That’s okay, it’s the gift that keeps on giving! I hope you all have a special Mother’s Day. Thank you for praying for Nate.
Love, Sarah
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2005/05/04 @ 23:30:03 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Nate is getting his three day treatment now and doing great. This stay seems to be going by quicker than usual!! We have had a neat expererience this visit. Nate’s Dr. told us about a 4 year boy named Jacob who was just diagnosed with this same cancer and he is next door to Nate in the hospital. I introduced myself to his mom yesterday and got to talk with her about her son. It is amazing who the Lord sends in our lives. There are only about 20 children each year diagnosed with this type of cancer and even the Dr.s here have not seen but 2 in about 10 years. Now there are 2 at the same time and we are from the same city and her father is also a pastor and they also found the tumor because of blood in the urine. (which only 25% usually present with hematuria) I told her I would ask others to pray for Jacob while they prayed for Nate. I know that it is prayer that has met Nate’s needs each day and I know the Lord can do the same for him. My heart breaks for their family as they go through this and I would not wish it on anyone, but I am also thankful the Lord has let us meet them. He is not a God of chance but of perfect plan. Thank you for praying with us for Nate and Jacob. Nate will go home tomorrow and continue to pray that he will not need a blood transfusion this visit.
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate

April 2005 (archives)

2005-04-01T12:13:00.000-05:00

2005/04/30 @ 23:50:59 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
I apologize for not having more postings from this past week. I don’t have that much going on right now...thank goodness! Nate had a wonderful past week. I can tell he has a lot more strength, just in time for them to knock it out this coming week. He has not gotten sick in almost a month, which is wonderful too. The Lord has definately been taking care of Him each day. He does have chemo Mon.-Wed. this coming week. Please continue to keep him in your prayers. This past Monday was the last of his one day treatments. So Lord willing he will now have 2 weeks with out chemo in between the 3 and 5 day treatments. Three months down and three more to go!! He has been staying on schedule, so hopefully all his treatments will be complete at the end of July.

Thank you for praying for us. God has answered so many prayers...prayers that were speechless, but the Lord knew our heavy hearts and removed the burden. It’s amazing how at times we could feel so down and a verse would come to mind or someone would call to let us know they were praying or semd an encouraging note. We try not to get too personal in these postings, but I will say this last month has been a little more difficult than the others. The older Nate gets, the more his personality shines through each day. And just like any parent, we just sit back and watch, and fall in love with him over and over again. And Satan likes to bring doubts and fears of life with out Nate. It would be easy to ponder on those fears, but the Lord is right there with us to remind us of His goodness and never ending grace. And we just pray this is one of those battles that we will have continual victory. Thank you for praying. God is good!
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate

comments

Cico Rodriguez - email
Dear Nathan, Sarah, and Nathan,
My prayers are with you. May God give you strength during this time, and the peace to know that he who made all things controls them as well.

This is Cico (PCC Eagles player way back when), and I just heard about your baby boy, Nathan. I can definitely pray, but please let me know some of your difficult needs so I may be able to act as well.

Your brother in Christ,
Francisco (cico) Rodriguez
05.02.05 @ 22:05
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2005/04/25 @ 23:10:45 [ 2 comments - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Nate had another chemo treatment today. He has gained 4 ounces since this past Friday and has grown almost an inch this month. He finally has an appetite...I guess he’s feeding those growing bones. He just needs to get some fat on those legs. Just the other day the nurse asked him what chicken he was riding! It’s a good thing this web site will be gone by the time Nate can read.

The Lord answered another prayer this past Friday. The nurse called last Thursday and said his red blood cells were very low so I needed to bring him in Friday for a transfusion. I was suprised because Nate had a high energy level and he looked great. When we got there the nurse agreed that he did not seem pale and she ordered another blood test to check his hemoglobin again. Praise the Lord it was high enough for Nate not to have the transfusion. That is the second time the Lord has kept Nate from having blood tranfusions. I know it is because of people praying for him. Please continue to pray and thank you so much for praying.
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate

comments

Somer John - email
Wow! Everytime I read that the Lord has answered another prayer I’m just in awe of His power! Our church is still praying for little Nate and many of my friends are as well. They are all touched by your strength and grace as you deal with this trial. It’s an amazing testimony for the Lord! Thank you for the updates you give so regularly, Sarah and Nathan. God bless you!!!!!
04.26.05 @ 14:29

Diane - email
Sarah and Nathan:

That is such great news! There are so many people you don’t even know praying for Nate and your family...and you and Nathan are such an example of strong faith—what awesome parents you are and how blessed Nate is to have the two of you as HIS parents...God truly has His hand on the 3 of you.

Love you much,
Di
04.28.05 @ 11:02
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2005/04/21 @ 21:27:47 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
Thinking of you by ssmoke (ssmoke), in General
Sarah,
Just wanted to let you know that we’re thinking of you and Baby Nate everyday. You are constantly in our prayers and I know God is going to continue to work miracles for your family. We love you all and can’t wait until we will get to visit with you again. It seems like forever since we’ve been there for a visit. Our thoughts and prayers are continually with you.

All our Love,
Daniel and Sarah
PS - Baby Nate, we love you very much and know that God has you in His big, amazing hands.

comments

Nathan Smoke - email
Hi Daniel and Sarah. Thank you for praying for me. I love you. Nate
04.25.05 @ 23:13
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2005/04/21 @ 17:34:20 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
by austin (austin), in General
Hey Guys,
Just wanted you to know that I have forwarded this website to everyone in my address book, and many of your friends down here in SC are praying everyday for you and lil' Nate. Love you guys.

Austin Bannister

comments

Nathan Smoke - email
Hey Austin
Thanks for praying for Nate and letting others know about him so they can pray. We hope you are doing great and that we will get to visit with you and Sharon soon. Take care.
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate
04.25.05 @ 23:16
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2005/04/18 @ 21:50:21 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
Praying for you! by JennM (JennM), in General
Hey Sarah,
I don’t know if you remember me or not. I am was Jennifer Yeargin. I was an accounting major at PCC from 97-01. Anyway, Rebecca Makely gave me this website and I wanted you to know that I am praying for you and your family, and especially for your little boy. I know the Lord is a God of miracles.
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2005/04/18 @ 20:03:09 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Hi! Nate is doing great from his chemo last week. He did not get sick one time. The doctor wanted to give him a blood transfusion on Friday, but we asked if they could hold off since he was going back Monday for more chemo. We prayed that his red blood count would increase by Monday and it did!! So praise the Lord, he did not need a transfusion. The Lord also answered another prayer with his anti-nausea medicine. We don’t know if the doctor wrote the prescription wrong, but we got 6 full bottles of that medicine for $25. The last time we had the order filled it was the same amount of money for a week supply. So now we will probably not need to purchase any more throughout his treatment. The Lord works in ways that never cease to amaze us. Thank you all for your prayers.
Love, Nathan and Sarah

comments

Jennifer Garner - email
My family and I are so happy Nate is doing well. My son Joshua goes to Randleman Elementary School and they are selling Life Links to raise money for Relay for Life. The school is trying to make a purple chain to go all the way around it. Each student can buy a link in honor or in memory of someone for .25 for each link. So, Joshua decided to place his in honor of Nate because he is such a brave little guy. We are praying for you.
Love in Christ, Andy, Jennifer, Joshua, Lauren & Anna
04.19.05 @ 10:09

2005/04/14 @ 22:26:41 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
Update From Nathan by admin (admin), in General
Thank you for praying for me. I am being good for mommy and the nurses. Jesus is taking very good care of me. I love you.
Nate

comments

Judy Payne - email
We are praying for you and your family.
Sarah the Lord is so good even through the most difficult times in our lives. Michelle and Tim are doing good. We thought we were coming to
Greensboro the first week in June and we had a deacon pass away so we went on to Gatlinburg with Tim and Michelle and had a wonderful time and rest from all the work and stress here. I am getting ready to go to Sunday School and had picked up the bulletin and say Nat’s name on the prayer list so I had to cxheck out how he is doing so I’ve taken the time to drop you a note. We love you all. Our Love and Prayers, Bro Payne and Judy.
06.26.05 @ 10:22
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2005/04/14 @ 22:26:04 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
Nathan Update by admin (admin), in General
Nate has had a wonderful week. He has not been sick once!!! He has been so pleasant and not fussy and is sleeping better here at the hospital than at home. Those are all answers to prayer the Lord knew I needed to keep my sanity this week. He gets to go home tomorrow and be a free man! We can’t wait. No news with his elevated diaphragm. They believe it has to do with his phrenic nerve being damaged from the insertion of the port-a-cath but they are not sure. Since Nate is breathing fine they are just going to keep a watch. There is a possibillity it could be because of the chemo and it could correct itself. We just pray it is not a permanent problem and when all this “mess” is over it will be fine. Thank you all for your prayers. The Lord has given him a wonderful week and we are so... thankful.

Love, Nathan and Sarah

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2005/04/12 @ 18:19:59 [ 3 comments - Edit - Delete ]
Update on Nate by admin (admin), in General
Well first off, Praise the Lord for the wonderful results with the basketball on Ebay. That was a blessing, answer to prayer, and fun, all wrapped up in one basketball. God has been so good to us!! Thank you again to everyone who had a part in helping, and a huge thank you to the one who purchased the basketball.

We are at the hospital now. He was admitted today, but before they admitted him they took a chest x-ray as standard protocol for this point in his treatment. The x-ray came back with some questions so they sent Nate down for two more x-rays. They showed that his diaphragm was not working symmetrical. They then did another test that showed that his left diaphragm muscle was not moving, basically meaning it was acting paralyzed. They did a CT scan from his head to his pelvis to check for new tumors hindering the diaghragm. To God’s glory there were none!! They are not sure what is causing this, so he will have more test through out this week to find out why. I will say my heart sank and fear started to set in when they first said something looked wrong with the x-rays. But I was reminded that the Lord has healed my son and that if there was something wrong it would be just another miracle the Lord would do in! his life. Please pray they will be able to find the exact reason his left diaphragm is acting paralyzed. Nate is doing great through it all, a little extra fussy today because of the sedation for the CT scan, but all in all he is super! Thank you for your prayers and we will continue to keep you informed.

Love, Nathan, Sarah, & Nate

comments

Megan Tucker [Vandalia Christian School] - email - url
Dear the Smoke Family,
I would just like to let you know that I pray for little Nate everyday. God Bless!
In His Service,
Megan Tucker
04.12.05 @ 20:59

Stephanie Feaster - email
My 6th gr. class is truly in love with you, baby Nate! We know that God is the Great Physician and He will do mighty things in that little body of yours! We just need the lesson of trusting in Him! Aren’t we silly people? God made us, so why don’t we trust Him to take care of what He made?! We love you and will continue to pray!
04.14.05 @ 08:12

Duncan Chapel friend
God’s grace is amazing!
04.14.05 @ 13:16

2005/04/07 @ 18:29:13 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
Have you seen the B-ball bids? by admin (admin), in General
Wow! The winning bid was $2,575! What a blessing. Take A Look.

comments

Richard Upright - url
Wow! Isn’t God Awesome?
04.11.05 @ 19:56
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2005/04/06 @ 22:52:48 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Hi there. Nate has had another great day. Today was so beautiful that we went for a stroll outside and then went for a ride in the swing at grandma and grandpa’s house. I am so thankful we have these pretty days before he goes back to the hospital next week. He is definately happiest outside.
We can tell his muscles are getting weaker from these past weeks. He used to be able to stand and hold himself up, but now his little legs just collapse under him. It almost looks like he is jumping up and down. It breaks my heart that he has become so weak, but it is quite cute to watch him “jump.” Though he can still go to town in his little walker. He scrunches his nose up, aims his jeep walker, and takes off. (He drives like his daddy!) It is almost like watching a bumper car.
Please keep him in your prayers next week. The five days of treatment are no fun. Though I am speaking more from my perspective. Nate does super in the hospital and we are so proud of him. God has taken such good care of him and we thank Him each day. Thank you for praying.
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate
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2005/04/04 @ 22:10:37 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
Cute PIcts. by rsmoke (rsmoke), in General
Dear Nathan, Sarah,and Nate
We are cheering on the TarHeels tonite!!! We love the new picts! They are so cute!! We can’t wait to see Nate! Praying that Nate will sleep better at night. See you this weekend!
Love, Grandpa, Grandma and Aunt Melissa
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2005/04/04 @ 21:08:25 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
New pics in the Gallery by admin (admin), in General
A few new pictures have been posted in the gallery.
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2005/04/04 @ 16:21:00 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
Link for Autographed B-ball by admin (admin), in General
Here is a link to the autographed basketball on Ebay.
Click here and place your bid
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2005/04/04 @ 12:35:14 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Hey there. This is a response to the comment on the last posting. I believe you can search ebay by the item # which is Item number: 5182121922 if that doesn’t help let me know and I will let you know of another way to locate the basketball. Thanks for taking the time to look for it!
Love, Sarah
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2005/04/03 @ 23:04:18 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Nate had a super last week. His blood counts did not drop like they had anticipated, and I thank the Lord for His watch and care over the little guy. He was able to go to church this morning and see his buddies, so that always brings a smile to his face. His buddy Adrianna was so excited to see him and she crawled as fast as she could to him, but Nate started to cry when she went for the hug. I like to think they were tears of joy. (hee,hee: ) ) The tears didn’t bother her though, she kept on “talking” and smiling. Lord willing he will have another great week. He has treatment on Tuesday, and then the following week he will have 5 days of treatment. God has seen us through so far ane will till the end.
A little side note to let you know about. We found out yesterday, that through different acquaintances, David Noel, who plays on the the UNC Tar Heel basketball team, had his team members autograph a basketball to be placed on ebay. All the proceeds from the auction will be given to help Nate’s medical expenses. Thank you so much to those who made that happen for Nate. We’ll be cheering those guys on Monday night as they WIN the NCAA championship. (And so will Nate...we’ll let him stay up past his bed time) Thank you again. I will continue to say it...God is so Good!
Thank you for praying for Nate and please continue to pray.
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate
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2005/04/01 @ 23:09:27 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
Fundraiser Info by admin (admin), in General
I’ve just added a “Quick Link” to a new page with fundraising info. Give it a look.
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2005/03/30 @ 20:49:04 [ 2 comments - Edit - Delete ]
From Rebecca Makely by Rebecca Makely (Rebecca Makely), in General
Hello Smoke Family,
Just wanted to let you know that baby Nate is on the prayer list at Temple Baptist Church in Herndon, VA. Your entire family is in my prayers and your faith and strength are such a testimony to me. Sarah, you may remember me - I was an acctg/mngt major (2001) and I think we had Principles of Accounting together. God bless!

comments

Julie - email
I hope that baby nate gets well. He and his family are in my prayers. God Bless you all.
04.01.05 @ 00:57

Sabrina - email
I heard your story on EBAY while looking for an outdoor toy for my rambunctious 11 month old son. Your story absolutely touched my heart, and I wanted to visit your site. Your son is GORGEOUS, and Thanks to God for all he has done, and continues to do in your lives as well as sweet Nate’s. God Bless you all, you are in our prayers here in Chicago, IL.
04.01.05 @ 17:34

March 2005 (archives)

2005-03-01T12:10:00.000-05:00

2005/03/30 @ 19:35:40 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Hi there! Just a quick update about Nate. He had another chemo treatment yesterday. He is doing great! He has been doing better eating the last few days and has not been sick at all. He is still all smiles and a ton of fun. We have started giving him his shots in morning because I think they were bothering him at night. (He as waking up screaming at least every hour.) Now he only gets up about 3 times, so I am a much happier mommmy! We hope you all had a wonderful Easter. Keep praying.
Love, Nathan and Sarah
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2005/03/28 @ 00:22:07 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
Fix for login problems by admin (admin), in General
I just updated the info on the “Login Problem?” link. If you are one of those who had problems logging in, this will likely fix the IE problem *crosses fingers*.
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2005/03/26 @ 11:37:50 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Hi there. We are sorry for taking so long to post a message. The hospital computer doesn’t let me log in and I can’t change the settings since it’s a public computer. Nate went to the hospital Tuesday morning and had 3 different treatments that day. Wednesday and Thursday he had one treatment that runs off and on about 8 hours. Wednesday was a bad day for him. He got very sick for a few hours that afternoon. He looked like he had been on a boat with rough waters tossing and turning him and his stomach. Though Thursday was a much better day and you would have never known he didn’t feel well. The Dr. told us we would not get to go home till Friday, and I think tears came to my eyes. I was sooo ready to go home! Nate’s treatment ended about 10:45pm and we were discharged and left that Thursday night. Praise the Lord, b/c I think Nate and I would have gone crazy being there another night. He started his shots again to help his white blood cells increase. His hair is coming out slowly, and I am stating to see a difference. I know his pictures look like he already lost his hair, but he just never really had a lot to begin with. He is not getting to go to church his first Easter. I am sad about that, but he will have many more Easters to be at church with us. He has another treatment this Tuesday. Continure to pray for the little guy. He is doing very well and we know it is because of prayers and God’s grace.
Love, Nathan and Sarah
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2005/03/26 @ 08:55:34 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Di (Di), in General
Hey Sarah, Nathan and Baby Nate:

The Jones' family has been thinking alot about you...did Nate have treatments this week? Oh, I hope he did great...Sarah, give me an update cause you know how many people at Belk are asking me about Nate and when I say I haven’t talked to you in a week or so, they look at me like I should hang my head in shame!!

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter weekend and can reflect on how powerful this time really is. I saw a bumper sticker that said “Only Jesus could build a bridge with 2 pieces of wood and three nails”...I love that.

Love you all,

Di, Scott, Lane Scott, Lib and haven

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2005/03/23 @ 19:26:05 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
Happy Easter! by rsmoke (rsmoke), in General
Nathan,Sarah, and Baby Nate:
Just wanted to wish you all a “Happy Easter” this Sunday! Looking forward to seeing you guys soon!! Hope Nate did well on his treatments this week. Give him a lil' hug from me!: ) Talk to you all later, take care!! Love, Melissa
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2005/03/17 @ 22:21:49 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Hi there. I thought I would do a quick post to let you know the background behind some of the pictures in the gallery. The first picture of him smiling was the picture we sent out for his birth announcement. He was already smiling for us at 1 day old, but you know what everyone says..."it’s just gas." The picture on him holding his blue bear and smiling is my favorite. He loved that bear when he was younger. He now loves his blue doggy that you see in the other pictures. He loves to bite that doggy’s nose. The picture of him drinking the yoohoo is Nathan’s favorite. We couldn’t get the little guy to eat or drink anything so Grandpa Oates introduced him to Yoohoos and it has been love ever since. The picture of him sitting in between the 2 nurses is the last day of his radiation treatment. A very happy day for us. Most of the other ones are this past Christmas, or Nate around the house playing. We hope to have a newer family picture from Easter. It will show our new addition Annie, our black lab, if she cooperates. (very doubtful) My aunt and uncle, Mike and Beth, gave her to us and Nate loves watching her run around and cause chaos everywhere she goes. Well that sums up most of the pictures. Hope you enjoy them as much as we have.
Love, Nathan and Sarah

comments

Bill and Janet Seagrist - email
Dear Nathan and Sarah,
We are friends of Lynn and Ruth. We wanted you to know that we are praying for little Nate we well as you both and the grandparents during this trial in your life. The pictures of Nate are so heart rending, he is adorable. Please remember God is still on the throne and He will prevail.
03.20.05 @ 22:28
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2005/03/15 @ 20:26:34 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Nate had chemo today and did very well. His white blood cells have increased so he is no longer at high risk for infection. I was so happy to hear they were higher because we were giving him shots each day to help them increase and it is no fun giving your baby a shot!! They didn’t seem to bother him too much, though I wish we could say the same. Next week he goes in for 3 days of treatments so please continue to pray he will do well. The last hospital stay we taught him how to wave bye-bye to the nurses so maybe this time we will teach him how to lock the door so the nurses can not come in and bother him. : ) Thank you for your prayers

comments

Scott Jones (Admin) - email - url
Your comment on Nate learning to wave reminded me of my second favorite bit of parenting advice. Teach Nate to sign at least 5 words (hungry, thirsty, more, done and sleepy).

http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm

Diane was a nonbliever until Haven signed “sleepy” .

Glad to hear that Nate’s white count is up. We’re praying for him.
03.15.05 @ 22:04
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2005/03/10 @ 14:28:17 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Just a quick update about Nate. He is doing great and has had a super week. He goes tomorrow for another blood test. Please pray it will be fine. Also pray for him because he is cutting teeth right now and is up every hour of the night hurting. I am limited in giving him Tylenol to help ease the pain so just pray the Lord will take it away. Thank you! Love, Sarah
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2005/03/09 @ 10:01:38 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
From Lori "Kates" by Lori (Lori), in General
Hey Sarah,
This is Lori Kates from your collegian, now Lori Babers. I have been working at THE WILDS since I graduated from PCC and I wanted to let you know, that we are all praying for and I will keep you all on the prayer list up here.

Lori

comments

Sarah Smoke - email
Hi Lori, It was great to hear from you. Thank you for praying for Nate. God is answering those prayers. On a side note...a congratulations to you on becoming an aunt. I know you will be the favorite Aunt Lori and their favorite “toy”. God bless you and Nate and your ministry at the Wilds. Baby Nate sends you all hugs and kisses and lots of smiles! : ) Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate
03.10.05 @ 14:23
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2005/03/08 @ 14:03:18 [ 2 comments - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Nate finished his first round of chemo that lasted a week. The Lord helped him breeze right through. He got sick three times, but other than that he was smiley ol' Nate. We had a bit of a scare when some red bumps that looked liked chicken pox decided to show up, but thank the Lord they didn’t stay around for a party. His white blood cell count is low and the Drs. say it is still on its way down, so Nate doesn’t get to go out and see his buddies. He went to the clinic today for another chemo treatment. He looks a little pale because of his low red blood cells, but he does not need a transfusion, and hopefully will not need one through out the treatments. Nate’s nurses always say how they are amazed at how well he does each time he is at the hospital. He never cries when they access his port or take his blood pressure and temperature and poke and all that “fun” stuff. I know the Lord is holding his hand and comforting him through it all. I will say it till the Lord takes me home...God is good and He answers prayers!! We love you all and thank you for your prayers. And a little side note...some friends from Lima Christian Academy sent my parents a card and a picture of the “beginners” class letting us know they pray for Nate everyday. I showed Nate the picture of the children and he squeeled and smiled and tried to give them kisses. He is very thankful too that you are all praying for him!!
Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate

comments

Jennifer - email
Dear Sarah
I’m Jennifer Garner. We have met through Joanie Holmes. My children, Josh, Lauren & Anna and I are praying for God to touch Nate and to keep his hand upon you & Nathan. Anna (2 and a half) confidently says God’s gonna make Nate all well. The faith kids have is unbelievable.
03.09.05 @ 11:19

Stephanie - email
Sarah, Nathan, and Nate,

Sarah, this is Stephanie, Tracy Hawks' sister. I just wanted to leave you a note and let your family know that we’ve been praying for you guys. Nate is on our prayer list at Kerwin and many have continued to ask about his progress. Nate is blessed to have parents that place their burdens at the feet of Jesus. Valleys are for shaping us to be more like Christ, and when we come through the valley on the other side we can still shout the victory. Tracy loves you all and so do I. We will continue to pray because GOD CAN!!!!!
Love, Stephanie Hawks
03.09.05 @ 15:57
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2005/03/05 @ 19:08:25 [ 2 comments - Edit - Delete ]
by Somer (Somer), in General
Sarah and Nathan,
Hi, it’s Somer (Moyer) John from college. I heard about your website through the reliable PCC grapevine. ; - ) Sarah, if you don’t remember me I was friends with Leigh Ann and your suitemate one year. Anyway, I just want you to know that my family is praying for you and little Nate. I have a 17 mos. old daughter (Madison) and a 2 mos. old son (named Nathan too!) and I can’t even begin to imagine what you’re going through. I pray that God gives little Nate the strength to fight this, and that He gives you and Nathan grace and peace and strength each hour. I’d love to hear from you personally if you get the chance. Leigh Ann is also trying to get in touch with you. If you email me, I’ll send back her email address and phone numbers. For some reason she wasn’t able to log on. Take care, Somer

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Trish - email
Sarah and Nathan,
I have been trying to master this site, and wha la...
Hope you both are fine and that Nate is able to feel good after his treatments this past week. I sent a email to your personal email address, but if you did not get to it, I thought I’d try here.
Wanted to lift you up and tell you both how much I’ve been thinking of you.
Nate is being taken care of by a fine staff at Baptist Hosp., and a Fine God, as well as 2 fine parents. I just hope you are both being good to yourselves, so you can be good to Nate.
Be assured of the number of prayers goin UP from our home and know we are thinking of you all. Jessica and I pray together each pm for “little man's” healing and for your peace.
Hope to hear more great stories of Nate’s progress really soon.
Do take care and call on me if you need anything
Trish
03.05.05 @ 22:44

Sarah Smoke - email
Hey Somer. So good to hear from you. Thank you for praying for Nate, that is such an encouragement. Seems that you have your hands full with your two little ones. I know they are precious! I’ll send you a more detailed email when I’m not trying to hold Nate and type. It’s not working so well!!! Take care and I’ll write soon. love, Sarah
03.07.05 @ 16:18
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2005/03/04 @ 15:49:16 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Debbie Inman (Debbie Inman), in General
“GOD WILL MAKE THIS TRIAL A BLESSING”
I’VE JUST COME INTO A VALLEY ONE LIKE I’VE NEVER BEEN BEFORE
I KEEP SEARCHING FOR A WAY OUT SEEMS LIKE PAD LOCKS ON THE DOOR
OH THERE MUST BE ANOTHER SUNRISE ANOTHER SUNSET THAT I’LL SEE
GOD WILL MAKE THIS TRIAL A BLESSING THAT’S THE LOVE HE HAS FOR ME

GOD WILL MAKE THIS TRIAL A BLESSING THOUGH IT SENDS ME TO MY KNEES
THO’ MY TEARS FLOW LIKE A RIVER YET IN HIM THERE’S SWEET RELIEF
THERE’S NO NEED TO GET DISCOURAGED THERE’S NO NEED TO TALK DEFEAT
GOD WILL MAKE THIS TRIAL A BLESSING AND THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD WILL SEE.

I WAS NOT THE FIRST ONE TO COME INTO THE PLACE
YOU SEE EVERY CHILD OF GOD THIS TEST YOU MUST FACE
IT IS HERE THAT GOD WILL MOLD YOU AND MAKE YOU WHAT YOU OUGHT TO BE
GOD WILL MAKE THIS TRIAL A BLESSING JUST BE PATIENT YOU WILL SEE.

NOW I’M STANDING ON THE MOUNTAIN LOOKING BACK AND I CAN SEE
WHEN I WAS IN THAT LOWEST VALLEY HIS STRONG HAND WAS LEADING ME
OH IT’S GOOD TO SEE THE SUNSHINE AND TO TASTE SWEET VICTORY
GOD WILL MAKE THIS TRAIL A BLESSING OH THE GRACE HE GIVES TO ME
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2005/03/04 @ 15:47:08 [ 2 comments - Edit - Delete ]
by Debbie Inman (Debbie Inman), in General
Sarah and Nathan,
I found out about Nate on the PCC Alumni Update. You all will be in my prayers, and in the prayers of my family, friends, and Church. I pray that God will bless your family, and will continue to work a miracle in Nate’s life. Remember the song “God Will Make This Trial a Blessing”! I will post a copy for you. I pray it will encourage you.
God Bless, Debbie (PCC2001)

comments

Sarah Smoke - email
Debbie, Thank you for posting the words to that song. We know no matter what, God will be glorified. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. God bless you. Love, Nathan, Sarah,and Nate
03.08.05 @ 13:28
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2005/03/02 @ 14:17:29 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Tavis Long (Tavis Long), in General
Sarah and Nathan,

I want you to know that I am praying for you and trust that the Lord will show both His profound grace and mercy to you. Praise God for your trust and and faith in Him. God Bless.

Chaplain Tavis J. Long, LTJG, USNR
Marine Corps Logistics Base

comments

Sarah Smoke - email
Hi Tavis. So good to hear from you. Thank you for your prayers for Nate, He is answering them and showing His grace to us daily. We trust you are doing well and keeping those marines in line. We hope and pray you stay safe. Love, Nathan, Sarah, & Nate
03.08.05 @ 13:31
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2005/03/02 @ 12:42:53 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
Posted for Sarah by Admin by admin (admin), in General
Nate was admitted in the hospital Monday to start his week long treatments. He has done wonderful so far. He gets 3 different drugs each day starting at 2pm and ending at 11:30pm. I am amazed at how well he has done and I know it is because the Lord is answering prayers each day. He gets a little “cranky” because he is stuck in his room most of the day. I know he gets tired of being with mommy all day when he gets excited to see the nurses walk in!!

His buddy Adrianna came and visited him yesterday and they smiled and poked each others eyes and mouths. (she is the cute ladybug in the picture gallery)

Today Lynn Poole and Kathy Kiser came and sat with him so I could get out of the hospital for few hours. It was nice to get some fresh air.

Thank you for praying. The Lord is answering your prayers. He is a God of grace and goodness. Talk with you all soon.

Love, Nathan and Sarah
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2005/03/02 @ 08:57:16 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Dolvin (Dolvin), in General
You are in our prayers at this time.
Steve & Kourtney Dolvin

comments

Sarah Smoke - email
Hi Kourtney! Hope you are doing well. Thank you for letting us know you are praying for us. I can’t say it enough, but it is such a blessing knowing others are lifting Nate up to the Lord. We hope you and Steve (Mr. Dolvin : ) )are doing great. God bless you and your family. Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate
03.08.05 @ 13:34

Feb 2005 (archive)

2005-02-01T11:52:00.000-05:00

2005/02/23 @ 19:16:05 [ 2 comments - Edit - Delete ]
by rsmoke (rsmoke), in General
Dear Nathan and Sarah,
We were so glad to hear of Nate’s weigh gain. It is such a comfort to know so many are praying for Nate. Tonight we bought some nutritional products called Reliv. Look it up on the web site. I thought it might be good for Sarah to take it as she is feeding the baby. Let me know what you think. This SAt. Melissa and I are doing 7 miles with a group of ladies. We’ve got to make progress to get ready for the race. Give Nate hugs and kisses from Grandma.
Lots of love, Mom

comments

Brenda Dawson - email
Dear Nathan and Sarah, I also have a Nathan and he too had cancer. Nathan is now 3 1/2 years old and is the picture of health. I am writing this to encourage you. God is faithful and he keeps his promises. His word is true. My Nathan is here today because “Gjus” (Jesus) healed him. Nathan will tell you himself. Dont let fear or doubt creep in. Trust me they will try. Ask the Lord to cover your ears with his very hands so that you cannot hear those thoughts of fear and doubt. Look at Psalms 118:17 it says “I (NATHAN) will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.” I still say that over Nathan to this day. If you ever want to talk please call me. 495-8205.. I will be glad to help or encourage you in any way. God Bless You Nathan and your whole family.
Love in Christ, Brenda Dawson
02.25.05 @ 11:02
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2005/02/22 @ 20:00:16 [ 4 comments - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Today I took Nate back to the doctor’s because we were concerned he was not getting enough fluids. His check up went well and he had gained 10oz. since last Friday. And as soon as I got home from the clinic Nate ate and drank like it was old hat. I know that was the Lord answering my prayers and the prayers of others. Keep praying he will continue to eat/drink well. It can be a bit discouraging to us when Nate acts like he doesn’t have an appetite. We know the Lord is helping us through each day. Love, Nathan and Sarah

comments

The Andersons - email
Hi Nathan, Sarah and Baby Nate
This is The Andersons in Cape Town, South Africa. We just want you to know that we are praying for you. Our daughter, Paige, and her entire class and Martha Guerrant, at Good Hope Christian School are also praying for you also. We love to read Romans 8 v 38 & 39 and we hope this will comfort you.
God Bless
All our love
The Andersons
02.23.05 @ 09:36

Diane - email
Hey Sarah , Nathan, and Nate:

I am excited to hear Nate has gained 10oz over the weekend....tell him I can do that in a single meal! Everyone at Belk is asking about you and praying for you...not a day goes by, that customers and employees don’t flag me down to get the latest update on Nate....I always tell them that your “faith is like steel!” We will be back to visit you soon....are you overnighting at the hospital this week?

Love you all, Di
02.23.05 @ 11:37

Stephanie Feaster - email
I have several students standing over my shoulder in my class right now, oohing and aahing over how adorable baby Nate is! We are praying for him each and every day. Please know that these 6th graders think the world of you, baby Nate, and we are confident that God will heal you completely! He is in control and we have to trust in His plan, even when it is hard! We love you! The 6th grade class at FCS in Margate, FL
02.23.05 @ 11:53
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2005/02/20 @ 13:08:26 [ 2 comments - Edit - Delete ]
Baby Nate by mmeads (mmeads), in General
Hi Nathan, Sarah and Baby Nate,
This is Miriam in N.C. (Tim’s sister).
My children, Brittany, David and Michaela pray every night for “Baby Nate” to get well. We are all praying for Nate’s full recovery. Tim and Lynette are keeping us updated. Austin is so proud of his baby cousin. He spoke very highly of you all when we saw him at Christmas. May God’s love strenghthen you and your family. Love in Christ, Miriam

comments

sarah smoke - email
Thank you so much for your prayers and let Brittany, David and Michaela know how important those prayers are to us and Nate, and that the Lord is answering their prayers each day. The picture you sent of you all was precious, thank you. May God continue to bless you. Nathan , Sarah, and Nate
02.20.05 @ 18:55
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2005/02/20 @ 12:01:06 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Nate’s chemo went well on Friday. He seems to be feeling well. He has decided he doesn’t like to eat anymore so it takes Nathan holding him and when he opens his mouth to cry I put in the food. Nathan then walks around the room till he swallows and then back to me for the next bite. Needless to say, it is not the most graceful of feedings, but it gets the job done. He was 18.8lbs at the beginning of it all, now he is 16.11lbs, so we are on a mission of “fattening” him. He will not have chemo this week, just a weight check on Thursday. The following Monday he will go in for 5 days of chemo, and then he will come back home. Please pray for him that week. I know the Lord can make it go easily for him, and that is our prayer. Thank you for praying with us for Nate. Love Nathan and Sarah

comments

Wendy Yow - email
Sarah - I was so sad to hear about Baby Nate, but at the same time I found comfort in reading what you typed about Baby Nate’s situation and how you are keeping the faith no matter how challenging it can be at times. Know that you all are in my thoughts and prayers and I have added you guys to a prayer list here in Atlanta.
02.22.05 @ 13:07

2005/02/20 @ 10:35:12 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
prayer by linda (linda), in General
You don’t know me but you can’t know the hundreds (or more) people who are offering up to God prayers on Nate behalf. Just be reassured that God is in control of everything.

comments

sarah smoke - email
Thank you for your prayers!! Love, Baby Nate
02.20.05 @ 19:08
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2005/02/19 @ 20:12:50 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
Praying for you! by tabitha (tabitha), in General
Nathan, Sarah & Baby Nate,
Hey, just want to let ya’ll know that we will pray for your whole family fervently! I could never imagine what you must be going through, but as hard as it may seem God is there at all times for you. Sarah Smoke (Daniel’s wife) has been keeping us very informed with Nate’s situation and is making sure everyone keeps him in their prayers. She is a great aunt!
John, Kelly & Tabitha Wheeler

sarah smoke - email
Thank you for praying for Nate. We can not express enough how encouraging it is to know others are praying. We know God answers prayers! You are right, Sarah is a great aunt, we wish we could see her and Daniel more. Thank you for your care and concern. Love, Nathan, Sarah and Nate
02.20.05 @ 19:07
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2005/02/19 @ 13:34:46 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
by ssmoke (ssmoke), in General
Nathan, Sarah and Baby Nate:
Glad to hear that Baby Nate is done with radiation. We will be praying diligently this week that his chemo will go smoothly and that he gains his weight back.
We love you guys!
Daniel and Sarah

comments

sarah smoke - email
Hey Daniel and Sarah, Thank you for leaving a posting and thank you so much for praying for Nate. He sends his love and hugs to you. We hope to see you very soon. We love you, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate
02.20.05 @ 19:10
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2005/02/18 @ 11:47:15 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
nathan and sarah by laura (laura), in General
Hi guys! I know Sarah from Vandalia and nursing school. I want to let the both of you know that I personally am praying for you and everyone in the nursing program is as well. Nate is a beautiful baby and I know that with strong parents and a wonderful heavenly Father he can do nothing but suceed! Let me know if there’s anything I can do at all. Keep the faith! : )

Laura Botts

comments

Sarah Smoke - email
Hey Laura. Thank you for leaving a message and letting me know you are praying for Nate. I miss you all. Sarah
02.20.05 @ 12:05
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2005/02/17 @ 19:00:58 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
by rsmoke (rsmoke), in General
Could you post your home address? Some people would like to send Nate a card. Love Mom
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2005/02/17 @ 18:57:05 [ 2 comments - Edit - Delete ]
by rsmoke (rsmoke), in General

dear Nate, I just want you to know Granma is praying for each and every day and especially on treatment days. Keep your cheerful smile! I can’t wait to see you again. Melissa and I are practicing our walking Sat. to get ready for the race! We love you soooo much! Hugs and kisses– Grandma Smoke ( P>S> I still hear that some people have trouble logging on )
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2005/02/17 @ 12:41:13 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
Prayers by Lane Jones (Lane Jones), in General
Hello! This is Lane, Diane’s daughter, whom Sarah may remember from babysitting once? Just wanted to say Nate is absolutely adorable with those gorgeous blue eyes! The entire youth group at Gate City Baptist is praying for Nate and his loving family. We <3 U!

comments

sarah smoke - email
Hey Lane, Thank you for praying for Nate and please let your youth group know that we thank them so much for their prayers. God answers prayers and you are a very blessed girl to have parents that teach you the power of prayer. And of course I remember “babysitting” you - easiest job I ever had : ) Thank you Lane, Nate sends you hugs and kisses. Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate
02.20.05 @ 19:15
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2005/02/15 @ 19:13:37 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Praise the Lord! Nate had his last round of radiation today. He did very well through it all. He would get sick the first time he would try to eat, and the radiation has caused hime to be fatiqued. By mid afternon you would never have known he was sick. He is still eating well. He likes those rolls on his legs too much to let them go. Friday he has chemo and will be able to come home the same day. My former work buddies brought dinner tonight and some extra “goodies.” Thank you for your kindness and generosity through this time. You are amazing people who have hearts of gold. I am amazed at how the Lord works to meet needs. Thank you!! Continue to pray with us for Nate.
Love Nathan and Sarah

comments

Diane - email
Hey sarah: it was so great visiting with ya’ll last night. Nate was so cute!! Those cheeks are so precious...aahhhh! I printed out the weblog to takke to work and to the counter with your sweet thank you in it and update on Nate’s treatment...we’ll pass it around. Hope ya’ll have a great day!
02.16.05 @ 06:21
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2005/02/14 @ 13:08:37 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
by rsmoke (rsmoke), in General
Nathan, Sarah, and NAte,

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!! Hope you’re day is special! We are praying for you all daily! I will be working on the letter this week for the race. Give Nate a hug from all of us! We love you all and will continue to pray for little Nate. Take care and we will talk to you soon! Love, MOM,DAD,& Melis
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2005/02/14 @ 11:21:37 [ 2 comments - Edit - Delete ]
Our prayers are with you by austino (austino), in General
Dear Sarah and Nathan,

Mike and I are praying that little Nate will be well soon. He is a beautiful little boy, I can’t wait to see him. Michael said that he had seen Nate when you came to pick up Mom Holmes. Michael said he peeked in the car window at him and he just had the cutest, sweetest smile. We’re here for you if there is anything we can do to help. We continue to pray, as do many others that we have shared this with.
We love you and God Bless you and your Family,
Michael and Joanie Holmes

comments

sarah smoke - email
Hey Michael and Joanie, Thank you for leaving a message letting us know you are praying for Nate. Yes, Michael got a big grin from Nate when we were leaving Grandma’s house. Michael has the touch: ) We hope to see you soon. Thank you for your prayers. Nate sends you hugs and kisses. Love, Nathan, Sarah, and Nate
02.20.05 @ 19:19
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2005/02/11 @ 19:22:35 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
Pictures and login issues by admin (admin), in General
I have just posted a photo gallery and bio, both of which may be accessed via quick links.

I have also posted a few tips on registration and login since I have heard of a few problems. (My lovely wife reminded me that not everyone is as geeky web savvy as me :^)
See the Login Problem? link

comments

Jason Fletcher - email - url
Mom called today and passed along a message your Mom left on the answering machine. She held the phone up to the machine and turned it up as loud as she could. Amy and I are praying for little Nate. We know God is in control. Thanks for posting the pictures. We love you!

Jason and Amy Fletcher
02.12.05 @ 11:26
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2005/02/11 @ 18:54:41 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Today, Nate had his 5th dose of radiation and his second chemo treatment. The radiation therapies and nurses enjoy hugging and loving on Nate each morning. When he woke up from his treatment today all the nurses were waiting for him to give them his smile. They call him little smiley (we call him little smelly). His chemo went well today with no apparent side effects. Continue to pray for him as he has two more radiation treatments Monday and Tuesday. They tend to upset his stomach. Thank you for all the prayers and uplifting cards and phone calls.
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2005/02/08 @ 18:22:43 [ 4 comments - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
Today Nate had his second radiation treatment. Before each treatment he is sedated and the treatment last about 7 minutes. Yesterday it made him sick so today we took pre-cautionary measures and gave him some medicine to settle his stomach and they also gave him some fluids through his portacath just in case he was to get dehydrated. After each treatment he is back to his smiley self, even when he was sick, he gave me a smile minutes later. The Lord knows I need those smiles...they tell me he is going to be just fine. Praise the Lord for his continual peace that only comes from Him. Nate will have radiation till next Tuesday (seven treatments), and another round of chemo this Friday. Continue praying for him, we see the Lord answer your prayers everyday.
Love, Nathan and Sarah

comments

Trish - email
so glad to hear of all the smiles you’re receiving. Babies, I’m convinced, are sent here to teach us... Our God is so good!
02.08.05 @ 18:57

Tonia Coble - email
Sarah,Nathan,Nate,
Iam Praying for you Guys. Thinking about you. Theres not a day to go by without somebody asking about you all. Miss seeing you at Belk. I know Nate is gonna be just fine. Love and Prayers Tonia
02.10.05 @ 14:30

Candy Leak - email
Dear Sarah....It has been a while since I have seen you. I am Mandy and Kenny Leak’s mom. We heard about Nate. I wanted you and your husband to know that we are praying for all of you. Mandy had Nate put on our prayer list at church on Wednesday night. I tried to log on to leave a message and it wouldn’t work so I left you one here. Our love and prayers are with you. The “peace that passeth all understanding” is so real to us at times like these. Give Nate a kiss for us and remember there will be many more prayers for him from our family and our church family.
Candy Leak
02.18.05 @ 06:06
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2005/02/07 @ 10:31:47 [ 4 comments - Edit - Delete ]
by Di (Di), in General
Sarah :

How did I miss that you were calling little Nathan , “Nate”, so my e-mail made me souund like , the Jones' girls were going to give your hubby a big fat hug and kiss... I thought you called your hubby , “Nate”, anywho, I now have it straight!

Looking forward to seeing you all tonite and no kissing involved (except to anyone under 7 months old).

Love, Di

comments

Sarah Smoke
You Jone’s girls...kissing on my hubby!! Getting Nathan and Nate mixed up is a easy mistake, but little Nate is much more huggable and kissable. Hundreds and hundreds of thankyous for the meal tonight. It was soooo wonderful and thoughtful. We will hire you for our live-in chef and pay you in love! Thank you and Kim, Robin, Dara,and Mattea.
02.07.05 @ 16:59

Diane - email
Hey Sarah: We had fun last nite! Nate was so precious and looks to be doing so well. My, my he is cute! As far as your directions to get to your house, they were perfect, it was I and my crew that that took a few wrong turns...

I will be anxiously awaiting the pictures and any info you want to put on homepage about Nate and you and Nathan, too.

Hope you have a great day and look forward to talking again soon.

Love, Di
02.08.05 @ 07:32

sue farlow - email
my prayers are earnest and fervent for Nate and nathan and sara. stay strong in your faith
02.08.05 @ 17:27
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2005/02/07 @ 07:02:56 [ 1 comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Nathan&Sarah (Nathan&Sarah), in General
First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone that has been praying for Nate! Every ware we go we find more people and churches that are telling us that Nate is in their prayers. That has been such a blessing to us. We can really tell that God has been with us and Nate each step of the way. We know that Nate’s future is in His hands, and we are praying that God will use Nate’s illness as testimony of God’s goodness and grace.
Scott and Diane thank you so much for setting up this web log for Nate! We plan to use this web site to keep friends and family updated on Nate’s progress.
On Friday Nate had surgery in the morning to have his portacath put in his chest which will be used to administer his chemotherapy. In the afternoon, he had his first dose of chemo. The operation went smoothly and the chemo didn’t even make him sick. In fact, Friday evening he was back to his bubbly, happy self. We knew that God had answer prayers, and we pray that all his treatment will go that smoothly.

Love,
Nathan, Sarah, and Nate

comments

melissa smoke - email
just wanted to let you know that we have been praying for you all!! im glad to hear that the chemo treatment went well last week! my prayers are with you and i wish i could be there to help out! love you guys lots and i will be praying that the treatments will go smoothly this week! Give Nate a hug from his favorite aunt!: ) Love, Melissa
02.07.05 @ 18:47
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2005/02/05 @ 15:33:59 [ no comment - Edit - Delete ]
by Di (Di), in General
Sarah, Nate and Nathan:

I am so glad the chemo and surgery went well. I am SO GLAD the scans came back NEGATIVE!! God is good...Please give Nathan a big hug from all the Jones' girls tonite and one from Scott , too. We love you so much.. Di, Scott, Lane Scott, Lib and Haven
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2005/02/05 @ 08:36:15 [ 2 comments - Edit - Delete ]
What is this site? by admin (admin), in General
This site is dedicated to Nathan Smoke as he and his family deal with his battle against Clear Cell Sarcoma (See “quick links” for details on this illness).

We encourage you to register and visit often as this will be a place to receive updates and post General comments of encouragement and Prayers. In order to post you will need to login - anyone can view posts and comment on posts without logging in.

Note: I’ll be monitoring for and deleting spam posts but they will inevitably occur - sorry

Love,
Scott and Diane Jones

comments

sue farlow - email
I believe God is the same yesterday today and forever. HE still hears and answers prayers of HIS children. GOD bless you Nate
02.08.05 @ 07:20