Abby's first encounter with a Barbie

Allergic Reaction

Luke's rash looked worse Sunday morning, so we decided to take him to the ER at Children's Mercy Hospital. The doc we saw there said that Luke's rash was an allergic reaction most likely to the amoxicillin. There is nothing we can do about it and the rash could be present for 2-6 weeks varying in appearance (looking worse some places, better in others .... and then vice versa) during this time. Luke is doing well. He is not in any immediate danger because of this reaction.

ring, artist, and acrobat

Abby wearing a baby ring that I (corey) had when I was a baby. It didn't fit on my hand for very long but it fits Mrs. Petite's hand very nicely.


Apparently her eyebrows don't stand out enough so she painted some that do.


Absolutely one of Abby's favorite activities. Jumping from various pieces of furniture onto others. She pulled her bed over to the chair to create her own little gymnastics area.

Allergic Reaction or Rash?

Our little guy has developed a pretty rough looking rash or allergic reaction. We have seen two doctors. The first one (Friday) said that it was an allergic reaction to the amoxicillin that he was put on Wednesday for an ear infection. We started him on Benadryl to help control the reaction. Well ... it got worse by today and now there isn't a spot on Luke that isn't covered. We took him into urgent care today and the doc there said that it was something viral and that he expects it to start fading. Luke's eyes are also gummy and have mucous draining. Lukey boy is just about as laid back as can be though. He isn't his usual smiley self but he is one tough little guy. It doesn't appear to be dangerous though we are keeping a watchful eye on him. His cheeks are just two big rashes. Pray for lukey boy.

Mr. Perkins had a farm

eiei o ... and on this farm he had a horse.

Our Cowboy and Cowgirl

We had the opportunity to spend some time with Jesse, Shanee, their family and friends last weekend. Mr. and Mrs. Perkins were extremely gracious and welcoming. Out at the Perkins' farm , Abby had a blast. She had a great time with the folks while she sang her alphabet song and was just her normal cute self.

Luke with Mr. Perkins ... wearing his hat.


You eyen' me boy?


Lukey is under that hat somewhere.


Abby not wanting to miss the fun had to have the hat on too.

Priya's Story

Follow the link to read Priya's Story ... it is a tough read. Jesse and Shanee asked Miriam to read a shorter version of Priya's Story at the funeral service. It was hard to watch and hard to hear. Miriam did well reading it even through the sadness. Jesse spoke at the funeral and delivered the good news of Jesus Christ. In the midst of their suffering, they cling to Christ and still share the hope they have ... simply amazing. In my opinion, Jesse and Shanee are heroes of our faith and our generation. The kind of people I can tell stories about to Abby and Luke. I say this not to idolize them or boast in them but instead to boast about what the Lord is doing through them.

At the burial, it was heart wrenching to see Priya's tiny little coffin. And as I stood there holding both my kids, I was filled with such a mix of emotions ... grateful that we have Abby and Luke and such a deep sorrow for Jesse and Shanee's loss. Our hearts and prayers are with them.

Corey vs 1lb frozen beef

Okay, so before you completely write me off as a fool, guys break bricks with their heads all the time (you know ... maybe I am a fool).
This happened two days before Christsmas. I was somewhat energetic and we were having a good time as a family in the kitchen. I had just retrieved 5 1lb packages of frozen beef to thaw for the Crandall Extended Family Christsmas at our house. I saw the frozen beef on the counter and casually asked Miriam, "ya wanna see a guy break a pound of frozen beef on his head?" (I mean seriously, guys break lots of bricks in a similar fashion). Apparently Miriam thought I was joking and said, "Sure." I picked up a pound, stared it down, pumped myself up for 3 seconds and then proceeded to try to break it on my forehead ... and I blacked out and stumbled to the counter where I could feel the goose egg rising on my head.

And the moral of this story is ... frozen beef is harder than a brick. Actually the real moral of this story is "don't be a fool."

Catching Up

So, we haven't posted in almost a month. That will change as I will be be updating more consistently now. We had a great Christmas and New Year with a couple of downers. Both our kids had RSV which made days and nights pretty rough. Miriam and I both got sick at some point over the holidays. I tried to break a pound of frozen beef on my head and blacked out for second. The next day, my brother power bombed me on my floor and I blacked out for a second. I tried to start a curbside recycling business with a buddy of mine that we closed the lid on after we realized it was probably going to be a loser.

We received some really sad news as our really good friends lost their baby at 32 weeks. Pray for Jesse and Shanee.

I will be doing some catch up posts on some of the above topics. I realized that one of the reasons why I had not been posting is because I felt like I had to start where I left off with the last post and do everything chronologically. Well .... I don't and I am not going to. I am just going to start posting again with the present day stuff and throw in some of the older stuff as time allows.

I have got many funny Abby stories. Life will always be exciting with that girl around. I think she may have inherited a little too much of her daddy ... hopefully she can be a little bit more discerning.