Happy New Year Everyone!

Well, we didn't stay up until midnight, but we did go outside at 8:00 to put on our party hats and take pictures! Thanks to the Campbells and the McAdams who dropped off dinner and a New Year's celebration box, we had all the supplies we needed to ring in the New Year (just a few hours early). The kids had a great time with the glow sticks and the confetti poppers....it was great.

Brad had an even better day today. He slept very well last night, managed to take very little medication through the day, and seemed to have an easier time breathing. I know that he will be even more excited when he can breathe without help from the oxygen machine, so we are continuing to pray for that. We are so thankful for this precious time together and we cannot wait to have even better days to come.

Tatoo Parlor

Zeke woke up early this morning and decided to open up a Tatoo Parlor. He has always been fascinated with temporary tatoos, but I am not sure exactly what made him think about drawing tatoos on people. He made a sales sheet, creating several designs for his customers to choose from, then he called us all in individually to create their personalized tatoos. He started with his sister....a small bat on her hand...as you can see from the picture, a very satisfied customer. "Ook Mama...Tatoooooo" Great...I'm not sure if this is

a good lesson for her.

Zeke & I have matching A&M tatoos on our belly. Most of the family left "tatooed" by the end of the evening.

Good Friends

Our new next door neighbors moved in this summer, along with 2 very sweet kids names Gavin and Stevee. Gavin and Zeke go to the same school and carpool together each morning. They have become very special friends. I love how they play together and I have enjoyed watching their friendship blossom. Thank you God for sending the LaMaire family into our life at just the right time. They have been such a support for Zeke (& for all our family)...what a gift.

Happy 5th Birthday Zeke

Have you ever seen a little boy any cuter than this one? He just makes me smile.

Circumstances being what they were on Sunday...I did not get an opportunity to post pictures from Zeke's birthday party. Zeke's actual birthday is the 28th of December. Because we really celebrate his half birthdays in June, we decided to just throw him a "mini-party" on Saturday night while most of our family was in town to celebrate with us. It was a "Knight Party At Night," the theme was picked out by Zeke. His Nonnie made him the castle cake that any knight would be proud of. It was perfect.

Happy 5th Birthday Zeke! Man, you are a cutie! You are such a special little boy. Your love for life, your never-ending energy, your high need for entertainment and friends, your infatuation with stuffed animals, your love for your sister and your family, & your sweet smile make you so unique. You remind me so much of your daddy...he too gathers strength and energy from his friends and family. He also has an infectious smile. And he is also super-cute! ;)

Another fun picture

Lisa here. Jenny asked me to put this picture on the blog of the cousins and Matt doing a pyramid. You may ask "why in the world?" are they doing that? A legitimate question! When we were in the Aggies for Christ, one of the fun things we did on trips to area churches was a skit show. There was a comical portion, followed by a more serious, devotional-type portion. In the funny skits, was one called "Beaver College", which required the actors to make a pyramid at the end. Brad requested this one on Sunday, and dutifully, everyone complied--except me of course!!! I would like to say everyone was concerned about my safety being pregnant and all, but we all know it was just the fact that no one wanted to hold the heavy pregnant woman! Today seems to be a good day so far. Brad had a good night--slept about 11 hours--he hasn't done that in literally, 2 years, or so it seems. He has not had much at all of the heavy meds, except for after the coughing spells. He continues to have the courageous faith that we all admire him for, and Jenny as well. Thank you for your continued petitions to God!

An Update from Jenny!

I am so grateful that Lisa has been keeping our blog up-to-date...thank you Lisa!! I found my way to the computer this evening to post a few pictures I wanted to share....my favorites from the last couple of days. The first picture is of a few members of the praise team from Southeast who came to sing with us on Monday night. There is nothing Brad & I enjoy more than singing together in a group like that...it was wonderful and so theraputic. Thank you for that gift.

The next pictures are of the boys playing cards outside in the yard this afternoon. I know that Brad enjoyed doing something so normal and it was a wonderful day to enjoy outdoors...perfect weather. Thank you guys for sharing your afternoon with Brad....you came at just the right moment to help lift his spirits.

The last picture is of Brad's 86-year-old aunt Ruby. She came over to see Brad yesterday afternoon and Brad made her lay down in bed next to him so he could hug on her.

I know that first and foremost everyone wants to know how we are doing. While we have certainly had our moments of complete and udder sadness about Brad's sudden health shift, I would have to say that I think overall we are holding up fairly well (all things considered). Brad has the uncanny ability to still find ways to slip in his sense of humor, even in the most desperate-feeling situations. Most of the day Sunday Brad felt so winded that he was unable to speak...so he was signing and writing for communication. Here are a few examples of Brad's bedside comedy at work: Matt cut his finger with a knife...Brad wrote that Matt was trying to steal his attention, he found ways to make fun of himself (& of others of course!). When Gena came into the room to see him, he greeted her, let her hug on him, then lied to her by writing that she was standing on his oxygen tubing (for those that don't know...Gena has a history with cutting off patient's oxygen supplies) so he had her jumping around trying to avoid his tube. Brad poked fun at Lisa's weight (she's pregnant), he played "Top Gun" & Darth Vader with his new oxygen mask, and he attempted to make out with Valerie Shoup (through his O2 mask) when she leaned over to hug on him. Just tonight I was getting into bed next to him...he had been in and out of sleep. Brad peered at me through half-opened eyes and asked me "what are you wearing?" I told him I had on a new blue animal print nightgown...he just hadn't seen me wear it yet. Through his morphene-induced sleep-haze he slowly responded in saying, "you look like Betty Rubble, but I like it." Brad's ability to find humor in the most difficult of circumstances still blows my mind....he is so amazing.

The kids are doing well...seemingly unphased by any of the circumstances. They are well entertained and cared for by all the cousins, aunts, and extended family.

We have been so blessed to have all of Brad's family here with us. It has been incredibly fortunate that all of our family is off from work/college/kids out of school so that we have had the opportunity to be here all together. Brad loves having his family all together. He draws strength from having them surround him. We are so thankful to have everyone here with us at this time.

The prayers are being heard. We are continuously embraced by the love that is being poured out on our family. We are still praying for renewed strength and continued improvement for Brad. Tomorrow will be an even better day.

Tuesday pm update

Well, I must say today was overall encouraging, at least from my point of view! Brad really seemed to feel better throughout the morning, visiting with family, joking, etc...Then, he sat outside for several HOURS playing games and getting some beautiful sunshine and enjoying the fantastic weather we had today, before coming in late this afternoon. I think he is pretty exhausted, but I count this as a good day. We've had some wonderful times of meditation and prayer as well; funny that those times are mean't solely for Brad's benefit, but I think they leave us all revived and comforted. Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who is leaving such wonderful comments and encouraging words; and thank you also to everyone bringing food to our family--what an awesome church family we have!! Praise God for a good day. Praise God for hearing our prayers. We continue to beg for complete healing for Brad, and peace and strength for Brad, Jenny, David, and Sandra.

Tuesday am Update

Lisa again. Brad had another ok night. One big coughing episode (that I heard, anyway), but was able to get some rest, Jenny as well. Brad is holding his own, still better than Sunday, but still very fatigued. From a medical standpoint, his situation is obviously, very serious, and some would say, grim. However, it's amazing to me the improvement he has shown over 2 days ago. I know all of you are praying, and I know you will continue to lift Brad up in prayer. He needs specific prayers today for his emotional strength and will to continue fighting. As would be expected, he is experiencing feelings of sadness and uncertainty; frustration with constantly approaching God's throne with the plea of healing for the past 2 years, and always seeming to receive a "no" answer. We all consider the physical improvement over 2 days ago an answered prayer, because we were very fearful of losing him then; we know and believe that God can and will still deliver him through this trial. I know Brad believes that too, and has since the beginning. But rightfully so, he has times of overwhelming sadness and desperation. Please pray specifically for Brad to have renewed spiritual and mental strength to fight this physical illness, and for him to be able to draw that strength first from God, then from family, from friends, and from within his self.
Jenny is so strong--what an amazing woman, wife, and mommy. I know she appreciates all of your kind encouraging words, and draws strength from them. The Southeast Church of Christ Praise Team came and did some awesome singing for and with Brad and Jenny yesterday--what an uplifting experience. More updates later.

More Update

Lisa again. Praise God!!! Brad has had a much better day today--sat up in his chair for a while, participated in some quiet games, and didn't require the heavy meds. Thank God for answered prayers! We are waiting with hopeful hearts that he will continue to improve. I have spoken with Jenny regarding the many people who are anxious to call, visit, or help--and the entire family is soooo grateful for all of you--what an awesome thing to have so many loving friends!! However, they do request not a lot of phone calls to specifically speak with Brad-he has a hard time keeping a conversation due to the breathing. While we know that there are many of you who would like to visit, we ask for limited visits at this time due to Brad's need to rest. What they do ask for is words of encouragement for Brad via either his email or this blog--speak directly to him, whethor it's fighin' words or a prayer--he would thrive from that. Thank you again for all of your loving care and concern--words can not express how grateful this family is for such a show of love towards Brad and Jenny.

More Update via Lisa

It's Lisa again. First of all, thank you so much to all of you for all of your dear comments and sweet words of encouragement. I will be sure to pass them on to Brad Jenny, and I am sure she will read them when she has a moment. Brad had an ok night--actually got at least a little rest, with the exception of a huge coughing episode this morning. Still having much difficulty with breathing, but amazingly, got up into his chair in the living room and even participated in some Trivial Pursuit! His breathing is still quite labored and he is easily fatigued, although the medications do seem to bring some relief temporarily. Please continue to lift him up in prayer continuously--I want God to be bombarded, pestured, and continuously pelted with our requests for healing!! Thank you all.

This is Lisa Hanna posting on behalf of Brad and Jenny. Brad began this AM feeling extremely short of breath. They waited a while for this to dissipate, but it did not, and actually got progressively worse. They called the doctor, and made a decision to call Hospice. The nurse came out and gave Brad some medications to ease his breathing and anxiety (stemming from his difficulty breathing), which do indeed help, at least for a while. We are not sure the exact cause of his sudden deterioration--there is a long list of possibilities. However, what we do know is the power of God, and even in this desperate hour, we are still pleading and praying for His miraculous healing. Brad is courageous, and fighting--his strong spirit and sense of humor in the face of these circumstances is awesome to see. We all know that there are so many people praying and pleading on Brad's behalf, and I know that Brad, Jenny, David, Sandra, and the rest of us are so grateful and comforted with that knowledge. Please continue to pray--and knock it up a notch! Thank you.

Hyperdash Mania!

Poor Elmo was left in the dust after the Hyperdash Game was opened. I'm sure many of you have already seen this game, but it is new to us this holiday season. The object is to race around as fast as you can to put a sensor over each of the colored dots. Zeke & Brad tried the game out a couple of times and then Kaelyn decided that she needed to take a turn at it. I thought she would just take the sensor and try to put it on her head. I was wrong. As soon as Brad started the game she took off like a shot and went speeding around the room at top speed trying to win. It was just about the funniest thing I have EVER seen. So unexpected. So funny.

The last video is of Kaelyn pushing her new baby around in her stroller while she is modeling her new Christmas skirt. Also quite funny (not as funny as the Hyperdash though.)

*Ok, everyone has to REALLY enjoy the videos from tonight's post. For some reason I had a very difficult time with them and they took me FOREVER! So, enjoy them...please.

I Did It! (More Hyperdash)

New Mama

A Wonderful Blessing

Today has been G-R-E-A-T! Brad has felt the best today that he has felt since the very beginning of this month. He went almost the entire day without using his oxygen and that was even with a trip to the mall. This morning Brad & I took Zeke to Build-A-Bear to use some of his gift card money to create a new stuffed animal friend for himself. He has been asking us to take him EVERY DAY since the day he received his first gift card (2 weeks ago) from Lisa & Bryan. He has been SO excited to go....couldn't wait. We made plans the night before to go early and to meet up with Callie & Lisa...so that Callie could help make suggestions to Zeke...being that he was a first-time-bear-creator & she is already a pro at it.

We got up early and got to Build-A-Bear at 8:30am...just after they opened. I was very concerned that we might be at the store with hundreds of other children who had just received their own gift cards on Christmas morning. We were delighted to find that we were just one of two families in the entire store....plenty of room for Brad to move through the store with Zeke as they picked out an animal...selected his clothes & accessories. It was quite an adventure.

So, Zeke brought a new friend home today named Spotty (he ignored his Daddy's promptings to call him something like Sam or Ralph). Zeke has a fairly predictable way of naming all his stuffed animal friends. If the animal
is a frog..his name is Froggy. If the animal is a chihuahua...his name is Chihuahua-y. This naming process drives Brad nuts. Personally I find this discussion hilarious!

Here are a few pictures from today...

Today I am thankful for:
1...the way Brad has been feeling. He has had several better days. We talked tonight about how he seemed to just be doing a little better...we are so glad. He went 6 hours on Sunday without being on oxygen....probably the longest period without it for the past 2 weeks. He has continued to do better yesterday and today.

2...all the time with family that we have had recently. We have been so blessed to have frequent and long visits from all our extended family....it is really nice.

3....even though Brad isn't feeling perfect...he is still so willing to help me. He sacrificed 9 hours of his time today organizing reciepts/bills/info to make spreadsheets for our taxes. It is such a daunting task....I can't express how grateful I am to have his help with this dreaded job.

4...our peacful nights. The last 2 nights...both of the kids slept through the night and didn't wake up until almost 7am (K has been sleeping until almost 8)....it is SO wonderful.

5...the way that Zeke reminds me every day about how many times he will go to sleep before Santa comes. It is so cute!

6....the fact that we only hae to go to sleep 2 more time until Santa comes! I love Christmas!

More Pics

Pictures with Santa

We took the kids to Baybrook mall last week to take pictures with Santa. Kaelyn wasn't too fond of Santa....he was ok to talk with from a distance, but up close...she wanted nothing to do with him. We met up with the Hanna's and we even got the opportunity to take a group shot with Santa....I think we were the largest group Santa had ever taken pictures with.

Snow Day

A very rare accurance took place on Wednesday, December 10th. We saw snow here in Deer Park...actually quite a lot of it. The snow flakes were HUGE...it was amazing. The next morning, we were fortunate enough to have it "stick" long enough to play outdoors in it. The kids LOVED it...Kaelyn enjoyed eating the snow and Zeke couldn't get enough of it....running through it, rolling in it, and throwing snow balls.

Looking for Lights

Tonight we drove through a neighborhood in North Houston to look at Christmas lights. Looking at Christmas lights is one of Brad's favorite things to do this time of year. The particular neighborhood we visited had themed streets (ex. Jesus' birth, zoo theme, snowman theme, candy cane, etc.) It was really neat to see. One house in particular had LED lights synchronized to music that running continuously through their own radio station. We turned our radio on to the appointed station and listened to the music as the lights flashed in unison....it was really cool. Zeke kept asking how the house lights were set up to match the music in our car....of course, I was asking the same thing. How did they do that? Unfortunately it only reinforced the idea for Brad that we would need to purchase more lights, fancier lights, more decorations and find a way to set motion to music. Not that he needing any more encouragement for that!

Today was an improved day for Brad. He said that he felt the best that he had all week. Tonight he faced a lot more coughing...so that hasn't been easy....but I was certainly glad that he seemed to feel better for the better part of today.

Futher Update

Yesterday Brad and I met with Dr. Shawna Blackman and Dr. Reardon about the possibility for surgery on Brad's lungs. After discussing Brad's past 2 years of medical history and looking over Brad's most recent CT scan, it was decided that we would first need to see if Brad could tolerate chemotherapy. The problem with the chemo that is recommended in this case is that first, it would be unlikely to control the disease (thus being the reason we have not chosen that option for Brad sooner) and second, the chemo would effect his heart and most likely cause fluid to build up on the lungs. Brad said that it would be very difficult for him to voluntarily chose a treatment for himself at this point that would negatively effect his resperation. He said that he couldn't imagine having any more difficulty breathing than he has already.

Dr. Blackman and Dr. Reardon feel that surgery would not be wise if the tumor growth on the left lung continues to grow & so far we have not sucessfully found any treatment to stop the tumor growth. Dr. Reardon stressed that he only does surgery if it will accomplish one of two things: either extending a person's life or increasing their quality of life. He said that at this moment he could not look Brad in the eyes and say that it would do either of those 2 things.

Dr. Blackman will be discussing with Dr. Lehane about chemo options for Brad. Dr. Lehane, being Brad's main oncologist, would be the one to determine a chemo plan for Brad, should he believe that Brad's body could tolerate some form of treatment at this point.

So, we are waiting to hear back from Dr. Lehane to see what he suggests for Brad. If he suggests chemo and if Brad choses to try that treatment, then we will see if the chemo reduces the tumor size in his lungs. If it does, then Dr. Blackman and Dr. Reardon will consider doing surgery.

While the information we heard was not surprising to either of us, it didn't make it any easier to hear. We know that no matter how desperate the situation gets, God can always intervene and take the cancer from Brad's body. We continue to gather strength from this knowledge. No matter how impossible everything looks....we will cling to this fact. God can make a way. Miracles happen every day and I will continue to pray that we receive one.

Until then I am continuing to focus on all for which I am thankful.
-I am thankful for sleep. Although we have both been overwhelmed with emotions, we have been very blessed with sleep each night. Thank you God for watching over us each night and for helping Brad sleep.
-Despite the emotional high/lows in our home, our children have been very strong and stable. In other difficult times, the kids have been very upset and very clingy to me. They have been very connected to their Daddy recently. Each morning I wake up to the sight of them climbing into bed with Brad to give him hugs and to cuddle with him. In the afternoon they play games, read stories and watch movies together. It is wonderful. Nothing could make me happier than to witness them expressing their love to their Daddy in this way. There is nothing I enjoy more than seeing a father playing with his children.
-I am thankful for our friends, family, & church who never fail to amaze me with their abundant support.
-I am thankful for a lessened cough. Brad felt a little better today and coughed a little less. We were able to spend some time together in meditation and relaxation which also seemed to help.
-I am thankful for time. God did not promise me today, but we were given it as a gift. I so appreciate that time that I have been given to share with Brad and our family.

Thanks for all of your prayers and support. We love you all.

Pictures from Our Family Christmas Gathering

On Saturday, our wonderful friend Christy Cresswell came over to take pictures during our family Christmas celebration. She did a fantastic job with them. I asked her to email me a few so that I could add them to our blog today. I just love pictures...and these made me smile....especially the Rudolph picture. :)

The Cousins

Our Great Family

Stunned....

Sometimes when the news on Brad's health is disappointing, then it takes me several days to find a way to write about it....this is one of those times. On Wednesday of last week Brad & I went to Methodist to have a CT scan run on his chest. The first sign of the seriousness of the situation was just after the scan was completed when the radiologist nurse came out to get me from the waiting room and brought me in to sit with Brad (he is normally wheeled out to me). The nurse told us that Brad had a very large pulmonary embolism (blood clot) in his right artery and was ready to send Brad immediately to the emergency room. Of course, we already knew about the blood clot...but because of the overwhelming concern from radiology, we waited around for the next several hours to follow up with an appointment with Dr. Lehane.

Lehane took one look at Brad scans and said that things did not look good. The scans showed Brad's right pulmonary artery being completely blocked by both tumor and blood clots. Because the artery was blocked there is no blood going to that lung and it is not functioning at this point. And, Brad's left lung is partially filled with clots and tumors, thus only working at 50% capacity, therefore, causing the shortness of breath. The last scan, taken just 5 weeks before, showed significantly less tumor on the left side. It was unbelievable to us how quickly the condition had changed in such a short period of time.

Lehane said that at this point we have one of two options. One being that he could give Brad oxygen (which we already have) and morphene to make Brad as comfortable as possible...letting come what may. Our second option was to perform radical surgery on Brad's artery to try to clean out the clotting/tumor and cut off the right side. The surgery would again not be a curative procedure but, should he survive it, would possibly give him more time. Dr. Lehane referred us to see a Dr. Shawnda Blackman, a pulmonary/cardiac surgeon so that she could take a look at Brad's case and determine if surgery would be possible for him. When Brad asked if this surgery could wait until after Christmas, Dr. Lehane responded in saying that he wasn't certain that Brad would make it to that point. It turned out that Dr. Blackman was on her way out of town that afternoon, so we have plans to see her on Tuesday to see what insight she may shed on Brad's condition.

We spent this past weekend with family. We decided to go ahead and celebrate Christmas with Brad's mom's side of the family. In case Brad chose surgery this week, we thought it would be best if we had our celebration together prior to that procedure. Our family was blessed on Saturday with a holiday meal cooked by the Hankins/Martin life group from Southeast. It was such a special gift. Following church service this morning, we were also blessed with a special prayer held on our family's behalf. It was so uplifting to hear the prayers of those we are closest to, sent aloud, to the Lord in our presence. The energy in that moment was indescribable and I felt incredibly physically and spiritually uplifted from each of those prayers, hugs, and kisses. I could feel the Holy Spirit's presence in that moment. It was emotionally healing and empowering. Thank you for those special prayers and for so freely expressing your love for our family. We are so blessed by each of you.

Update on Brad's Condition

Over the weekend Brad started to experience a more acute shortness of breath. By Monday Brad stopped to tell me that he didn't want to alarm me, but he was really having trouble catching his breath. He said that he was having trouble just moving from his recliner to his wheelchair....or just standing. This has happened somewhat before...usually associated with coughing spasms. At first we weren't sure what to think, but by late Monday afternoon he had some other symptoms of concern....along with fever and a quickening pulse that had me worried enough that we decided to go in to Urgent Care by Wednesday evening. I thought that maybe he had another case of pnemonia (or some other type of upper respiratory infection) and that fluid on his lungs was intensifying the breathing problem.

By the time we got in to see the doctor at the Urgent Care clinic, Brad's fever subsided. We are still uncertain as to the exact cause of some of his sudden symtoms. A chest x-ray was run, but because of the tumors in his lungs, it was difficult to see what else could be the cause of his symtoms.

Tuesday morning we went into Houston to see Dr. Lehane (Brad's local oncologist). Dr. Lehane compared Brad's CT scan from last April to the one he had on November 1st. He said that while Brad's cancer is not growing at a "lightning pace" it is growing very quickly. Lehane believes that because most of Brad's right pulmonary artery is almost completely filled with tumor and blood clotting, the right lung is not getting the blood it needs and the body is responding by sending his air primarily into his left lung. Also, Lehane believes that some of the blood clots from the right side are being sluffed off into the left lung causing some of those branches to fill with clotting...thus causing the shortness of breath. Brad was perscribed blood-thinning medication to help dissolve some of the clotting and if that is the problem...hopefully allieviate some of shortness of breath.

Lehane also talked with us about the idea of surgically working on Brad's right pulmonary artery...to cut the right side off from the left so that it would stop throwing clotting into his left side. While this wouldn't be a curative approach...it might help him feel better for a time. Next week Lehane plans to present Brad's case to the tumor board at Methodist to see what they have to say about his case.

Lehane also revisted the idea of chemotherapy for Brad. He said because his cancer was growing very quickly, a drug that kills fast dividing cells might possibly slow down his disease. When we questioned the likelyhood of the success of this option, Lehane said that he couldn't be certain, but he was willing to try it with Brad. This will be a very big decision for us. We have spent the last 6 months strengthening Brad's immune system. The chemotherapy would do the opposite, thus setting Brad up to more easily contract other diseases that his immune system is faced with. Having 2 small "germy" kids at home....this is not a decision to take lightly. And in his condition, Brad could experience severe effects that could possibly be much worse than the disease itself. The idea of chemo will be a VERY big decision for us should we consider it. Most doctors have told us that the amount of chemo that it would take to kill the chondrosarcoma would be fatal for Brad...if Lehane has a different idea of what he would like to try...we will have to hear more and then weigh all the pros/cons.

When measured on Monday and Tuesday, Brad's O2 level was moving between 84-89 %. So, yesterday a company come out to our home to install an oxygen machine for our home. While he doesn't need the oxygen all the time, it does occasionally make Brad feel better. At the same time, Brad is struggling with the idea of being to a point where he needs an oxygen machine.

This morning we are back at Methodist to run a CT scan. Lehane hopes that this test will help provide him more information to determine if blood clots are indeed the source of the problem. We will return to see Lehane at the beginning of next week to discuss the test results.

Our family really needs prayers at this time. We have decided not to return to Germany for the time being. Even if the treatments have possibly slowed the rate of cancer growth some....we do not feel that it is enough to outweigh the challenges of frequent international travel. We are continuing to explore ideas for what we can do to help control the disease...dietary methods, etc. And, we will continue to work with local doctors for now to see what they offer in the way of treatment. We ask for prayers for breathing relief for Brad, for clear decisions for treatments, and for peace about a situation that is beyond our control.

Brad told me yesterday, that although his lungs look bad, he has not given up....he said that he has to continue to believe that he can beat this disease. He is such a brave man and I am so proud of his strength, endurance, and unfailing positive, determined attitude. I am completely in love with this man.

Guess It's Time to Hit The Gym

Lisa was over at our house on Monday to do Brad's infusion, so Zeke had pregnancy on the mind. At one point Zeke walked up to me while keeping eye contact with my mid-section THE WHOLE TIME and said, "Mommy, are you going to have another baby?" I replied very quickly, "No, do I look like I am pregnant!?!" He grinned, "No, you don't." As I am grabbing him to give him a great-big reward hug for knowing just what to say in that moment...he adds, "well, kind of."

Stinker! :)

Lots of Great Pictures....No Way to Post Them

As I have mentioned before, no post ever seems complete to me without a good visual. Well, right now our main computer is on the fritz and that computer is the only one that has a place to download pictures from my camera media card. So, no pictures until I get that computer problem fixed :( sorry!

Kaelyn & I have also been sick...so that is my next excuse for why I haven't kept up with the blog this past week. Are 2 excuses enough...or should I try to think of some more?

Brad's 34th birthday was on Saturday. Sandra & David came down for the weekend to help us celebrate. We all went out (along with my parents) on Friday afternoon to eat at Churrasco's, one of Brad's favorite restaurants. We splurged and had steak....it was wonderful! Saturday night Brad went out with the guys to Dave & Buster's to hang out and play games...they seemed to have a great time.

I will post pictures and videos at a later date!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Here are some pictures from our Thanksgiving gathering at the Hanna's. We had such a fun time hanging out with family. I hardly saw my kids...they were so content to play with their cousins all day. We are so incredibly blessed to have such a close, wonderful family.

The 3 Musketeers


Ashton's new wheels.

Zeke & Cal taking a break after LOTS of running outside.

Dan taking a break on the swing.


Zeke having his pumpkin pie because "pumpkin pie comes with Thanksgiving!"


K snuggling with Doug.

Jack with "his Alli"

The huddle before the next big football play.

Zeke "guarding" Callie