People, have you ever had Johnny Cash stuck in your head? I’ve been Walking the Line since Saturday night. 5 days. Johnny, Johnny, Johnny. Johnny Cash all the time. David Allen Coe tried to butt in last night. But Johnny was having none of it. I’ve Been Everywhere with Johnny (I’ve been to: Reno, Chicago, Fargo, Minnesota, Buffalo, Toronto, Winslow, Sarasota, Whichta, Tulsa, Ottowa, Oklahoma, Tampa, Panama, Mattawa, LaPaloma, Bangor, Baltimore, Salvador, Amarillo, Tocapillo, Barranquilla, And Padilla). I guess life ain’t easy for a Boy Named Sue.

So this week is the suckaversery of the last time I saw my mom. I still wake up from dreaming about her and get a hitch in my heart when I have to remember that she’s gone all over again. I see her everywhere. And want to call her. And hang out with her. And talk to her. And want her to come visit me again. I want her to kiss me on the cheek. And pray for me. And love me all the time no matter what. Nobody else is like a mom, ya’ll. I’d like to be a mom, I think. I’d rather do it when she was here, but I think I can do it like she’s here, even though she’s not.

This was a tough year, no lie. It was hard to talk to my Mom’s Mom, and her sisters. It was not fun to watch my Michelle and Jonathan and Robert and Kristin hurting. For the first few months I found it impossible to talk to Liz without losing it. Daniel. Well, Dan, broke my heart sometimes just to look at his face. And Dad, man. Sometimes it was like we lost him too.

But here’s the thing. Isaac has it all right. Isaac misses Mom. And he has special pictures and things of hers that he is keeping safe. But Isaac has this great capacity for joy. And for life. On a particularly sad day some months ago, Isaac woke up all groggy eyed as he does, and he rolled off my couch and looked at me and said: “It’s a good day to be alive.” And he’s right. It is.

You know, all those years Mom was praying for us like it was her job. Even before I was born she was making her case to God for me. And you know what? I think He gave her exactly what she wanted for each of us. He gave us just what we needed. And of all the things on her prayer list, I know that is what she wanted the most.

It’s a little comforting to know that I get to live the life that Mom wanted for me. I have nothing to complain about; period. I love my job. My husband is my best friend. Michelle, Jonny, Rob, KFree, Lizzy, Dan the Man, Zack-o, The Aunts, everybody is here for each other. All the time; night or day. And I am never lonely or afraid. I don’t need anything that He hasn’t already given me. And we all have that just-what-we-need in our own way. Looking at it now I see that God answered Mom’s prayers specifically and faithfully for each of us.

It’s been a long year. And I miss you Pretty Mom. But I’m alright in Houston. And getting better every day.

This is from a close family friend:

“I just wanted to also convey, that this was a real answer to prayer. The doctors originally told John that there was basically no chance (they said 2%) that the spot was anything other than cancer (hence, they started chemo right away). Also, the other real miracle is there are no other spots that showed up on the scan. As a result, the doctors have concluded that the spot was not cancer because typically when a Wilms tumor comes back, it spreads throughout the body. I have concluded that God is awesome, all-powerful, and answers prayers. While the doctors are not sure what the spot is yet, and will not be until after they remove it, I continue to have faith and believe that God has healed Jackson, and that there is no cancer in his body anymore (though the doctors are still being very cautious with their prognosis). I am still praying for Jackson, but they are prayers filled with thanksgiving and redoubled confidence. Thank you for your prayers, and for continuing to pray for Jackson. He still has a long way to go, but I know God’s hand is on him.”

Hey, I want to thank all you guys who have been keeping our little nephew Jackson in your prayers and provide you with a little update. After his last 10 day round of chemo, Jackson spent a week at home (with a short side trip to the hospital for a transfusion). Today Jackson went back to St. Jude’s for another scan. The scan revealed that the small spot that had caused the concern between Jackson’s heart and lungs was the same size as when they started the chemo. This leads the doctors to believe that the spot is not cancer. The doctors believe that if the spot were cancer it would have either shrunk in response to the chemo or would have grown as cancer cells do. The doctors plan to do a biopsy of the spot this week. The doctors’ analysis is very good news and God gets all the glory. The surgery planned for this week is dangerous as we are talking about a 4 year old and his little heart and lung. Jackson’s dad John asks that we all keep Jackson close in our prayers this week that he will have a safe surgery and the biopsy will show no cancer.

Thanks guys,
Andi

Well, if you didn’t get in on the Tourney Pick ‘Em, you’ll just have to do it next year. We have a lively basketball debate amongst the cousins. So far, nobody has come to blows…

Hope all is well out there in basketball fan land. Today, by the way, is one of the greatest days of the year. I hope you will all take advantage of it. Spring is finally here. It is St. Patrick’s day (As my grandma Mary Eileen O’Brien would say: don’t forget to wear your green and eat some corn beef & cabbage). It is Friday. And there are sixteen NCAA basketball games to watch today… including Iowa and UNI. Today is the perfect day to skip out early, find a big screen, and hang out with your pals. Have a great weekend everyone. I’ve got to go rummage through the pile of stuff I threw out of my closet while “cleaning” it to see if I have anything green to wear…. Cheers!

Well, it’s that time of year again. Where did the year go? What happened to Illinois? Dee Brown: Where are you? Where did Iowa come from? Will Bill Self need Kleenex? So many questions. And now it’s answer time.

Time to make your picks. To join the Frieden Farm Pick ‘Em league, follow these directions:

1. Go to the Yahoo! Pick Em Game Front Page by Clicking Here

2. Click on the “Sign Up” button to create a team.

3. Follow the directions to complete registration. (Or, if you already have a Yahoo! team, click the “Create or Join Group” button and follow the path to join an existing private group)…

4. When prompted, enter the following information:

Group ID#: 98745
Password: big10

Joe & I are just back from a weekend in Memphis visiting Joe’s sister, her husband, our nephew Jacson & three other nieces & nephews who were staying at the Grizzly House on the campus of St. Jude’s Hospital. Some of you have been asking about Jackson, so I wanted to give you a brief update. He just finished up 10 rounds of chemo today and is heading home for two weeks. He is really doing pretty well and had fun playing with his siblings, going to the zoo, etc. while we were in town. While we were there, his dad John started up a website for Jackson. You can keep track of God’s good works at: www.caringbridge.org/visit/jacksonroberts.

Thanks for being faithful in your prayers.

Love, Andi

Right, so as most of you know, my six brothers and sisters and I lost our Mom last March. I’ll probably try to blog about that later on. Maybe. In any event, as you may or may not know, my Mom and Dad went to Rockridge High School where they were high school sweethearts. Dad’s brothers and sisters went there. Mom’s sisters all went there. And aunts and uncles, and even my Grandpa (back when it was Reynolds). I went there, as did Michelle and the twins… When I was there, Dad was even on the school board (you can imagine how much fun that was for Michelle). Anyway, at Mom’s graduation from High School in ‘71, Mom & Dad got engaged… enraging most everybody… but they promised to finish college… and off they went to Western Illinois University together.

Mom & Dad graduated from WIU in ‘74 and, skipping graduation, got married. And that was pretty much it for them until the day Mom went to dance in heaven last year. Eventually all of Mom’s sisters went to WIU (her grandma had even gone there when it was a teaching school). Not surprisingly, Michelle & I ended up at old Western too.

If you knew Mom, you knew she was big into kids (she did have seven of them after all). And big into education (she went back and got a second degree in early childhood education and ran a pre-school). So, long story longer, there is a new scholarship in her name at Western set up to benefit a Rockridge High School senior who decides to go there (once it has enough to be vested). It’s called the C. Robin Frieden Memorial Scholarship.

If you decide you want to give to this scholarship (tax deductible and all of that)… you can do so at WIU’s website by going to https://www.wiu.com/giving/. After selecting your “relationship to WIU”, you are taken to a page for various information. Under the heading “Gift Information” select “Scholarships” and in the drop down menu, go to “Frieden, C. Robin Mem.”

If you’d like more information, you can email me at andi@friedenfarm.com

Not to take anything away from Andi’s last post,(because that Jackson is one sweet boy who really does need everyone’s prayers), but I thought this was worth mentioning.

It seems that the owners of Isabel Bloom LLC have had a change of heart and have decided to keep production of their product in the Quad Cities. Reactions by locals have varied from overjoyed to skeptical as to whether or not this was the plan all along. I don’t know that I have a firm opinion one way or the other. I’m just glad I’ll still be able to walk into the little store in the East Village and look at all the pretty little things.

Joe & I have a little nephew named Jackson. He lives in Tennessee. He is 4 years old. His mom is Kim — Joe’s little sister (my age — very young!) and his dad is John. Jackson has a little brother Sean and two little sisters — Lilly Joy & Eden Olivia. Jackson is very sweet. Last Easter when he was visiting in Texas, doctors found a tumor on Jackson’s kidney. The kidney was removed and Jackson underwent Chemotherapy until September. Today we learned that doctors have found little spots behind Jackson’s lungs and heart. Jackson begins treatment again on Thursday. Jackson’s family needs your prayers and your belief for Jackson’s complete healing.

God’s promises are awesome. Here are just a few: “No weapon formed against you shall prosper” (Isaiah 54:17). “[T]hey that seek the Lord shall not want (for) any good thing” (Psalms 34:10). “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). “By his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5). “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16). “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be[bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matt 18:18). “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” (Luke 10:19). “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matt 7:7-8). “A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all” (Psalm 34:19). “[T]hrough Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and of sound-mind.” (2 Tim 1:7). “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” (Isaiah 40:29).

Please take a minute to pray for Jackson and his family and believe that he is well.

Thanks,
Andi