Kissyfur is Out of Surgery!

He is really going to hate that I called him that! Good thing he is in no position to do anything about it! It probably wouldn't be a good time to give him a big fat noogie either, but he's got one comin'! The doctor said the surgery went well. He also said that his recovery should be a lot easier this time and that is a huge praise! He is resting comfortably (well as comfortably as possible) at the hospital. Thank you all for your prayers. I know they are a comfort to him as well as all of us. This is a picture from his last surgery. I'll have to get a new one so we can compare! Please continue to pray for his recovery. His hearing, balance, and facial nerve have all been affected by this tumor. Thanks again everyone!

We Made It to The Top!

Of Mt. Diablo that is! Well, we drove to the top, but that isn't the point. We made it and it only took forever! We had to drive so slow because the kids were car sick that bikers were passing us UP HILL! Well, maybe it just felt that way, but anyhow it was well worth the effort! The views were amazing. Of course, I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I wasn't so terrified that the boys were going to fall off the cliffs and plummet to their deaths! And of course they caught on to Mommy's fear and ran with it. The more fear they senced the closer to the edge they would go! Funny how that works. We took a trail that circled the top careful to avoid all the Poison Oak that surrounded us. The boys were on a quest to find snakes and any other reptiles that were unlucky enough to be caught by them! I count the day a success...warm weather, picnic, beautiful scenery and we didn't come home with Poision Oak or any creepy crawlies! Only two cute little stuffed animals that Nana & Papa bought for them in the gift store! Fun, Fun, Fun!

Prayer Needed!

Well, the Lord continues to give our family things to pray about and so I am asking all of you to join us in lifting my brother Kristopher up in prayer. He is 30 yrs old and has a three yr old daughter named Emma. Last year after suffering with hearing loss and facial paralysis he was told he had a brain tumor. They said it was benign, but needed to come out. He underwent surgery in February of this year and considering what he had just been through he was doing great! Although they were unable to restore his hearing fully or repair his facial nerve back to normal with the help of physical therapy his balance was improving. All his doctors were encouraged by his progress. We thought his six month appt. with the surgeon would confirm what we already knew-he was doing great! The doctor gave him the news that his tumor had grown back and we all felt like we had been kicked in the stomach. Knowing that God is in control of all things I immediately started praying for the peace and comfort that only comes from knowing and trusting in Him. The Lord was not taken by surprise. He says that he works all things out for good for those who love Him. I have trouble trusting in Him fully at times, especially times like these, but I know that He is faithful and true to His word. So please join our family in praying for the Lord's good and perfect will for Kris and all the people who's lives will be touched by this. ( I will be posting an update after his surgery on Oct. 20th)

In Our Hearts Forever

Hello everyone! It has been a long time! I am trying to get my brain back in blogger mode, but I would like to take this week to tell you about a very special person that is no longer with us, but will always be in our hearts. Her name was Barbara J. Haynes ( aka Mom & Gramma B). She was my mother in law and I loved her dearly for so many reasons. Of course I love her for raising the wonderful man I get to spend the rest of my life with- and trust me that was a hard job, but she did it with an unconditional love that is to be admired. She was affectionate, gentle, caring, loving, intelligent, opinionated, and as Ben and I like to say she was sugar and spice and spice and vinager! I will always have great memories of times we had with her and regret that there were not more of them. The boys will miss her telling them all the stories about daddy when he was a boy and all the trouble he got into. Nothing made them laugh more! And I know we will all miss the loving mother and grandmother she was to us. Good-bye for now, Mom. You are in our hearts forever! We love you.

First Day of School!

Well, we did it! We made it through the summer and are now entering the world of early rising and frantic schedules. The first day was easy. Excitement got them up and ready in no time and we made it to school with time to spare! I love the first day of school! Handsome boys in their favorite clothes, squeaky clean sneakers, new lunch boxes that haven't started to smell yet, and smiling faces at the door telling you to hurry up or they are going to be late for school! Ahhh, bliss! I know it will all change when the excitement wears off, but for now I will bask in sweet victory and enjoy my first kid free day in three months! These are the first day pictures from last year and today! Wow, 2nd & 3rd grade! I am such a proud mama!

Boys will be boys!

I wasn't sure what to blog about this week until our pastor gave me an idea! He was talking about wives and mothers and what a typical day in the life of a mother looks like. So, I decided to make a mental list of things I say to my boys in a typical day. Take today for example. Before we even made it to lunch time I had said to them "no using knives while I'm in the shower!" and " You can't climb a tree with a saw in your hand! and "Be careful with that staple gun you could shoot your brothers eye out! Something tells me we are not living a typical life! And perhaps I'm not your typical mom! But at the end of the day I will thank God for protecting them another day and giving me the priviledge to be their mother. This picture was taken on another day when I said to them "Did you really dump the whole bottle of bubbles in the tub?" I guess the moral of the story is, the next time you hear yourself saying something like "Farting at the table is not funny!" just remember this wonderful season in life is so short. I better go check on those little rascals right now!

Memory Lane

My girlfriend Jessica had her baby girl. I went to the hospital yesterday to see her and she is sooo beautiful! Holding a newborn is just good for the soul. It reminded me of the moment I met each of my boys. That picture is as clear in my mind today as it was the day they were born. And now one of them is a teenager! My sweet little blue eyed, six pound baby boy with jet black hair standing up on his head is now my sweet 15 year old that shaves and wants to drive the car! Wow, does time fly when you are having fun! When they were in diapers I thought they would never grow up and then they potty trained and someone hit the fast forward button! Don't forget to enjoy the ride! Thanks for coming down memory lane with me!