Spending Time Together

We have spent the last weeks trying to live life in our new "normal". We have been through Thanksgiving, my 42 birthday, and Christmas since loosing dad, each of which was difficult. I must admit, however, that with each holiday, it was family and friends who made it seem less overwhelming. Thanksgiving was our time to be with the immediate family. My birthday, thanks to my dear friend Cissie, included a simple get together with friends. Christmas was a chance to change things up, and I will write about it soon. I am thankful for each of you, and for all of the prayers from friends here and all over the world. Blessings to each of you, and prayers for an uneventful new year. I am certain that I will approach it differently, knowing that each new day together is a blessing and should not be taken for granted. Wishing you a wonderful 2009!

"Mine Heart Broke"

On Tuesday, my dad lost his battle with cancer. He was very weak and he could not fight any more. We are thankful that he is no longer in pain and no longer struggling, but we miss him very much. Lillie has asked lots of questions and continues to try and process this loss. Last night she said, "Mine Gampa gone. My heart broke." I know baby girl, our hearts are all breaking, but we are thankful for the time we had together. Thank you for your prayers.

Please Pray

We have had to call Hospice to help with dad's care. He is at home and he is now comfortable. His health has deteriorated very quickly these last few days and we knew we needed support. We are hopeful that he will regain some strength but are also aware that this is probably not going to be what occurs. Please pray for him. For his peace and for his comfort and for his healing, whether it be here or in Heaven. Please pray for my mom and for her to feel God's comfort as well during this time. Finally, please pray for Lillie. Her Babop is very special and she does not really understand what is happening. Thank you

A Special Visit

We had a special visitor came to see us recently...my dad's cousin Bob! Bob came all the way from Oregon with books and a beautiful new dress for Lillie. ( As you can tell, she loved the bag also) Unfortunately. we don't get to see Bob and his family very often, but love the visits when they occur!

Halloween, Candy, Costumes and Parties...Oh MY~

Lillie and her boy, Wyatt!



"Scary" costumes and screaming children...oh, the drama!




Super Girl!





Sleeping Beauty was our costume of choice for our halloween parties!

Crystal's Wedding

Lillie and I attended the wedding of a good friend. It was a beautiful wedding and Lillie loved watching Crystal.... as soon as she saw her she said, "Mommy, want to touch her!" She wanted to get her hands on that silky dress and veil! It was even more exciting for Lillie that she got to see "Fancy Nancy"...which is what she calls my friend Nancy, who is Crystal's mom. As you can see, we had a wonderful time.

Lillie's "Gama" and "Gampa"

Lillie and I, as many of you know, spend most evenings at my parent's house. She is aware that mom and dad have been/are sick. She has even said a few times, "My gama's sick and my gampa's sick too." (I remind her that her gama is feeling better now) She loves them both very much and we pray for them every night.
Mom is doing well and has recovered from her surgery. She has had some follow-up appointments and all seems well. Dads has not been as easy..his PET scans showed that his cancer has spread and we have new battles to fight. Last Friday, we found out that one of the places the cancer has shown up is in his head, so on Tuesday, dad started radiation for a brain lesion. He will have 15 treatments and then we will talk to the doctors about what comes next. He continues to face the challenges with a strength and an attitude that is amazingly positive. We continue to pray for healing and for strength for him and his amazing team of doctors. Your prayers are also reqested and welcome as we enter a new phase in this journey towards getting dad back to good health.

Carving a Jack-o-lantern

Bowling

My friend Denise and her husband and son were in town a few weeks ago. Lillie and I jined she, Lane and some of Denise's family for bowling! The kids had fun...at least the first part of the time, then they had more fun just playing. Lillie decided she was Strawberry Shortcake and Lane was Huckleberry Pie. After we said good-night, Lillie kept saying, "I miss Huckleberry Pie."