Christmas Letter 2011

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

We want to update you a bit on what has been happening with our family this year.  Some of this info (if not all) will be things some of you have heard before, but there are others that will be reading this that have never been to our blog before!

I will highlight a few events in the life of our family in no particular order.  

~ Sarah and Zach traveled quite a bit in the spring with TeenPact Leadership Schools. Zach traveled to 5 different states and Sarah did about the same.

~ Joshua got his first full time job since getting his bachelors degree at the end of 2010.  He starts work at Farmers Insurance at the end of January, 2012.

~ Zach decided to run this year.  He had run a 5K in the past and this spring he decided to run the 1/2 marathon here in town in May.  He placed 3rd in his age category!  Then with in a week or so he decided to try a marathon. So he trained all summer and mid October he ran the Kansas City Marathon and he placed 1st in his age category! 

~ Kevin was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in July.  You can read much more about that if you look around on our blog.  He will be updating the blog on a regular basis starting in the next few days.  So come back and keep up to date on his progress.

~ Becca is in the 7th grade, continues to play the piano and has started taking Bag Pipe lessons.  3 weeks out of the month she does her lesson over Skype.  The other lesson we drive about an hour for a "live" lesson.  Playing bagpipes has been a desire of hers for about 7 years now!

~ Sarah was accepted to be an intern for TeenPact this year.  She has already traveled this fall for that, but will be very busy in the spring.  She will be gone about 13-14 weeks between January and May!

~ Zach is in his senior year and is looking forward to being done with high school.  He has started getting some college credits and has about 30 so far!

~ Josh went on a mission trip to Guatemala for a month this fall.  He stayed with a family in Guatemala City that are missionaries with Global Soccer Ministries.  He went down planning on spending a lot of time with children playing/ reffing soccer. He did get to do that some, but he ended up learning a lot about shovels!  There had been a landslide just prior to his arrival that blocked the road into the soccer fields! You never know what God's plans are going to be!!!!

~ Sarah started working at "Queen's Pantry" in July or August.  She came home one night in October and told us that the owner was going to close the business.  She then suggested (not seriously) that we buy the business.  Long story short ~ we bought it on November 5th (Guy Fawkes Day) and opened for business on the 11th of November, just one week later.  In that time we also moved the business to a new location.  :)  Fun, exciting, scary, overwhelming are a few words to describe these last 2 months.  But we finally feel like we are getting a handle on how to run it.  If you want to look at our web site it is:

www.qptea.com

~ We have had a really good year.  Hard times, yes.  But we have certainly seen God's hand working in our lives.  We have been blessed to be prayed for on a regular basis by people all over the world.  I can't thank those of you enough that have been praying for us.  The Peace that Passes Understanding has been a mainstay in our lives and we believe that is a result of those people praying for us!!! 

I pray that the Lord showers you with blessings in this coming year! 

Numbers 6:24-26  The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. 

Kevin, Kathy, Josh, Sarah, Zach & Becca

Kevin's Update 3 December 2011

Yesterday was my last day of my chemo treatments for awhile.  I am still waiting on lab results so I have no update on the status of the cancer to pass along to you.  I am anticipating good results based on the previous rounds of treatment.  On the 12th of December I will start two days of testing at the University of Kansas Medical Center.  Once that is complete and the results are reviewed I suspect they will schedule the next phase of treatment.

Overall I am feeling very well and continuing on with life as normal - or at least for what passes as normal in our house.  :)   

There are many challenges ahead and we are looking forward to seeing how God works in our lives and the lives of our friends and family through these days.  I will ask for your continued prayer support.  I know your prayers are making a difference.


If you want to read more about Multiple Myeloma please visit www.mmrf.org or www.myelomabeacon.com.  Either site will give you a great understanding of the diseaese, the future of care, and on-going research efforts as well as many other aspects of patient and care-giver life and needs. 

Kevin

November 27th, 2011

Well, we had a great Thanksgiving Day here.  I hope and pray that you did also. 


Kevin cooked the turkey, as is his custom.  He has been smoking our Thanksgiving turkeys on the grill since I can remember.  So yummy and the leftover turkey soup is delish!!!  This year I had each of the kids pick a side to make which made my work load much lighter.  Josh did an apple pie (plus he made the pie dough for the pecan pie that I made).  Sarah did the dinner rolls, Zach did the sweet potatoes and Becca signed up for the mashed potatoes.  Didn't leave much for me to do and I was OK with that!  ;)


Here are a few pics from the day:

Becca named the salt and pepper shakers Anna and William.  Kind of funny because during the dinner we had requests for "Anna" or "William" to be passed.  :)


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On another note ~ Kevin is almost done with this phase of his chemo.  He has 2 more treatments, this coming Tuesday and Friday.  I'm excited for him that it is almost done.  Then we will move into a whole new phase of his treatment.  We will switch from the cancer center that he has been getting his treatments from to KU Med.  Hopefully we will receive some sort of a schedule for all the testing that he needs soon.  Then we are expecting for him to have his stem cell transplant in January. 


His chemo side effects have been harder for him with each round that he has gotten.  (He doesn't share all that is going on.) This time is definitely hardest on him yet.  He has had some neuropathy in his feet which is a side effect of this chemo.  In the past it just numbed a small part of his feet.  This time it is effecting his whole foot with numbness and pain!  UGH  So those that are praying, keep it up.  We are thankful for those of you that are praying for him!


Blessings,
Kathy

Sort of a Family Update

There are many things changing in the Gentzler household so I thought I would spend a little time and give you a longer update than normal. About two months ago Kathy and I began seriously considering a major change in our lives and this past weekend we went through with it. We are now small business owners here in Leavenworth, Kansas.  We purchased Queen's Pantry, a shop that sells Teas, British Gifts and Foods that has been in operation for 13 years. While we are now the owners we are not yet open because we are moving to a new location.

Some of you may be thinking, "WHat are they doing that for with all of the other things going on?"  I'll tell you in two parts.  First a friend of mine, a cancer survivor and outstanding man, recently told me "You have to keep moving forward."  While the cancer may present a problem it is nothing that will stop us as a family. So we are taking the advice of my friend and moving forward in a new adventure.   Second, owning our own business is something we have had a desire to do for years. Our kids are all of an age that we feel they can be an active part of the operation and we had this unique opportunity come available. So we prayerfully considered the situation and decided to proceed.  Zachary and Rebecca have been a big help this past week as we painted our new building and did lots of moving.  Sarah also put in a lot of work. She was an employee of Queen's Pantry before we bought it and was very instrumental in helping us think through this endeavor.  She also has helped paint and move.  We also had lots of friends lend a hand.  The impact of a large number of people helping out of the love of Christ did not go unnoticed.  We are all looking forward to the adventure and all we will learn as we go.

Joshua has been in Guatemala for the last two and a half weeks on a mission trip.  He is working with a ministry called Global Soccer Ministries and is learning a great deal about day-to-day life as a missionary. He is there for a few more days and we are excited about him coming home soon. 

As for me and my cancer treatments I am enjoying God's blessings as he uses the Docs and the drugs to battle my myeloma.  This last week was another encouraging report with the main marker of the cancer continuing to decrease. My bodies response to the chemo has been very good and my side effects continue to be minimal and manageable.  We are beginning to plan for the stem cell transplant because January will come quickly. 

I am very thankful for my wonderful wife who has been a remarkable rock of strength through the beginning parts of my journey. When I have been low, and there have been days that are like that, she has helped my get back up. She is wonderful and I am not deserving of her love, friendship, and support.  I am very glad she is here with me. I am very sad that she has to deal with all of this though.

As I said a little longer update than normal. 

For all those of you who are praying for us, we thank you.  Your prayers are instrumental in our lives.

Kevin

October 26, 2011

This morning I read this in Psalm 37:3, 4.  Trust in the Lord and do good: dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.  Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

While I am not an advocate of any type of health, wealth, and prosperity theology I find this passage intriguing and encouraging. We are constantly trusting in the Lord and accepting the path before us. Although the path is not always clear we delight in what he is providing for us to move along the path. 

Our delight is in the Lord because if we delight in anything else we will never be satisified.


Kevin

Kevin's Update October 24, 2011

Well I am half way done with my first treatment regimen.  This week is a week off from treatments. Last week I had good reports from all the blood tests. All my numbers are improving and the staff at the Cancer Center tell me that I am doing very well.  The only major side effect I am facing has been increased insomnia.  Even that is a blessing because It gives me more time to study, pray, read, blog, and think.  Sometimes though, I'm not that energetic (smile).

I was fighting a cold this week and that seems to be clearing up.  I am very thankful for the prayers that are lifted up on my behalf.  Knowing that there are people all over the wold praying for me is very encouraging.

Last week as I was reading through Corinthians I came upon a very meaningful passage.  2 Cor 4:16-18 reminds us that there is a difference between the outward man and the inward man. Outwardly we are wasting away.  Inwardly we are renewed.  Your prayers are part of that renewal process for me. Each day, though I know my body is not doing what it is supposed to do, I find hope in the fact that this is only temporary and eternity is before me. I am renewed daily.  Be encouraged. Let God renew you daily too through placing your trust in Christ and the power of his life, death, and resurrection for your salvation.

Zach's First Marathon

A beautiful fall day in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.  The temperature was a brisk 50 degrees at 6 a.m. There were 10,000of your closest friends and acquaintances all around you. A party like atmosphere and eager anticipation filled he air.  Can you think of any better way to start your day than to run 26.1 miles??  Well, today in that atmosphere Zach completed his first marathon.  Here are some pictures of the event:

We started out staying warm in Crown Center.  Dad had to have his coffee!!

Zach smiling and ready to go

Our very great friend and Zach's encourager today - Terry Staley

Just before the race as the crowd gathered in the start zone

Zach, Terry Staley, and David Patterson waiting - and eager to go.  Terry and David both ran the Half-Marathon today and finished well.

Zach at the 9 mile point.  We didn't catch up to him again until mile number 24

Terry and David also at mile 9

Here is the finish line, just at about 11:20 a.m.

With Zach coming out of the banner

Here is your 2011 Kansas City Marathon, 17 and under SECOND PLACE finisher with a time of 4:15:58

WAY TO GO ZACH!! We are very proud of you. 

Kevin's Update October 15, 2011

 Friends,  This week I had two more appointments at the Cancer Center.  On Tuesday I began my second round of treatment.  No major issues and I felt good all day.  In fact on Wednesday I felt so good I spent 12 hours doing this:

Putting in an under tile heater in the bathroom

Tiling the bathroom

And ending up with a new floor

Thursday was not such a busy day.  The chemo usually takes a couple of days to kick in and that was true this week too.  So I was not feeling so great on Thursday.  It is not a "knock-me-on-my-back" kind of treatement but it does make me feel just a little off all day.  I have also had trouble sleeping this week and Thursday night/Friday morning got a whopping 2 hours of sleep.  Friday was a long day.

Friday I went for my second treatment of the week anticipating the return of an extra blood test they did on Tuesday.  That test was to show how effective the first round of treatment had been.  PRAISE the LORD!!  The major indicators in the bloodwork all improved dramatically.  The biggest indicator in the blood of a myeloma patient is the M-Spike.  My M-Spike began at 4.69, jumped to over 11 the week before we went to Hawaii in September and is now at 1.3.  What a dramatic improvement.  Strong indication that the treatment is having the effect we want.  So today, to celebrate, I went with Zach at 5 AM to downtown Kansas City, Missouri to watch him run in his first Marathon.  He did great and we will post that here too in a separate post because an accomplishment like that deserves one!!

Thanks for your prayers and your continued support.

Kevin

Kevin's Update 9 Oct 2011

All,  It has been a few days since I have updated you on my progress with my cancer.  This past week has been a week of no treatment.  Some of the side effects of the chemo have gone away.  I will start again on Tuesday this week. 

During my last visit with the doctor my blood work showed signs of improvement.  I have also seen a reduction in the primary visible indicator of my cancer.  All that means that the chemo is having the desired effect and fighting the cancer. 

Next week I will have a more in depth blood test and I will get the results of that on Friday.  Hopefully we will find a reduction in the cancer cells at that time.  That is how you can pray for us.  That the tests next week will show positive indications in the fight.

Thanks for your continued prayers.

Kevin

Chemo Day #2

So far so good!! Had a good doctor's visit today. 

I did some lab work, talked with the nurse practitioner, and received my second infusion of the week.  The Nurse and NP both stated that since I am having only minor side effects so far with these particular drugs I should make it through these four cycles (about 12 weeks) pretty well. 

Some of my blood work was improved, other portions very slightly down.  I will get a more complete report in about 2 weeks for the results of the first full cycle. 

God is good! I am continuing to be amazed at his timing and hand in this process.

Psalm 100:1-3

A psalm. For giving thanks. Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.  Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture

 

Chemo day #1

Well, today was the start of it all!

We went this afternoon to the Cancer Center and Kevin had his first treatment.  He will be getting his Chemo thru IV and the other drugs that he will be taking during this phase of treatment are in the pill form.  He started them today also.

He is feeling very good so far.  As a matter of fact we went and did a little shopping after he received the chemo this afternoon and he is at a Royals game this evening with Josh!  Now, I'm praying that means that he will feel great thru this whole process, but that may not be the case.  Just have to wait and see!

Can you tell we were goofing around before the treatment started?

Proof that they are there!  :)

I made him behave for this picture!

 

~~~Kathy~~~~~

Hawaii!

Here's a photo update of what the view from the hotel looks like. :)

September 12th ~ A last time

 We stopped back over at my parents house.  In reality we were officially looters.  My parents had sold their lot 2 days prior to us stopping and digging around for a few last things.  The above pile consists of items that strangers had found and piled in one spot.  It is amazing how little things that most people would skip right over mean something after EVERYTHING is gone.

~~~Kathy~~~~

September 9th

 Science experiments.  :)

 The gang trying to get a picture.

 A little closer to a photo. 

There we are all.  That was after we got all of Dad and Mom's stuff unpacked in their new, post tornado house.

The wee little one with Bree.

~~~Kathy~~~~

A New Chapter Begins

As some, if not all, of you know by now I (Kevin) was recently diagnosed with a blood cancer called Multiple Myeloma.  There is all kinds of information I could give you about this cancer but the best source of information I have found is already on the web at The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation website www.themmrf.org.

Me in my first visit to the Bone Marrow Transplant Clinic

Today I had my last consult with a doctor.  This visit was to the bone marrow transplant clinic at the University of Kansas Medical Center.  He discussed a treatment plan and in the course of that discussion confirmed what my oncologist had described last week. So, I will begin chemo therapy around September 20th for 4 months.  I will then have a stem cell transplant followed by maintenance treatment of some type (yet to be determined). The first part of the treatment should be relatively easy and I will be able to continue working, most of the time.  The second part will take me and Kathy out of the house for a few weeks and then out of circulation for about 3 months until my immune system is fully operational again.  

A beautiful Kansas sunrise as we drove to the clinic - A wonderful reminder that God has a new day for all of us

As we go through this family adventure life will still go on.  Kathy and the kids will be attending their normal activities and events. Once we get to transplant time things will change but that is down the road a few months. We are anticipating good results and looking forward to seeing how God works along this journey.  We will keep you posted about events right here so check back occasionally as well as through Facebook.

In his hands, Kevin

A Wonderful Week in Colorado

 This past week Mom and I got to spend a week in Breckenridge, Colorado at a TeenPact event called Endeavor. Some of the things we got to do during the event were: learn how to set a table properly, go to the shooting range, learn basic car-care skills, learn how to write a good thank-you note,  climbed rock walls, learned new cooking techniques, and went on a hike.

We had a wonderful week full of adventures, old (and new) friends, and growing closer to the Lord. I know that I was truly blessed to be there!! 

Part of the adventure of the week was learning to shoot a hand gun...Mom was a much better shot than I was. But we both had fun! 

Endeavor is a very well rounded event, so we also got to dress up for a tea and a formal dinner during the week. Here I am with the girls that were in my room right before the tea! Super sweet girls! Loved getting to know them!

We also got to play Extreme Twister...which is the game of Twister except with red, blue, yellow, and green jello instead of a nice, clean, not-made-with-sugar tarp. ;-) However, the game quickly turned into an all out jello fight. :D As sticky and weird as it was, it was Super fun!! I loved playing! 

Luke 12:27

"Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these."

I loved having a week all to myself with my Mama! It was wonderful to grow closer to her!

Here I am with some more dear friends! This time we're all dressed up for the formal dinner!

On Saturday we got to go explore the town and surrounding national forrest for a few hours before we went to the airport. So much fun!

Mom and I flew home with a few other girls (the girl on the far left and the girl on the right), but we drove to the airport with some old friends from Texas (the girl in the middle. :-). 

Psalms 19:1-4

The heavens declare the glory of God;
   the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
   night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
   no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,    their words to the ends of the world. 

The two wonderful moms that gave a week of their time to spend with us! 

Thanks Mom and Mrs. R!!!! :D

More later!! ~Sarah