Shayle's Gotcha Day Two Years Ago Today

I can't believe Shayle has been ours for two years! She is doing so well and is enjoying 1st grade. She has a great teacher who adores her and the feelings are mutual. She has such a sweet spirit and she brings a smile to everyone she meets. She is still quiet and petite. Her speech is improving since her second surgery last April. She loves being a big sister to Ben, of course she thought he would be smaller and not so rough. We usually have to pull him off of her, he is a strong little two year old. She only weighs 9lbs more than him. They have lot's of fun together. Happy 2nd Gotcha Day Shayle Bear. WE LOVE YOU!!!

Cardiologist Appointment

We will take Shayle for her annual cardiologist visit tomorrow. Please pray with us that she will have a good report. She has not been gaining weight for a few months now and has been pretty tired each afternoon. She may be still adjusting to being in school all day. This is what we are hoping.

In two days, she will have been ours for two years! Wow, time has gone by so quickly since she came home. I will do a post on her with updates on Wednesday.

Ben and the rest of the kids are doing great. We are busy as ever but at least there's never a dull moment in our household! I will do a catch up post on the rest of the family soon.

Cross Country

Myranda, Ben and I went to watch Arron in his first meet for this year at UT Tyler. Ben was excited to see so many boys running at the same time. Arron did very well, I was proud of his time. He works very hard in CC. He runs every morning before school at 6:20 am, that alone takes dedication. He wakes up at 5:45 each morning to get to the school in time and he really isn't a morning person. During the meet they run 3.1 miles. The Sulphur Springs Cross Country Team has won district the last several years. We have had a great group of kids on the team, both boys and girls. I will be doing most of the travelling to these meets while Darrel is home coaching Shayle and Jacob's soccer games on Saturdays. However, Arron's next meet is on Friday 10/1 and Darrel has taken off to go see him. I'm glad he will get to go watch him. He only has this year and next year before he will graduate and move off to college :(

Soccer Time

1st Day of School 2010

I am so late posting this. The kids have all had a great start to the school year. Shayle is in BIG school with her brother, Jacob. He walks her in each morning to her class....so sweet! She loves to have mom come eat with her at lunch. It has been an adjustment for her going all day, she is tired when she gets in the car each afternoon. She still goes to private speech twice a week after school. She as well as Myranda, Payton and Jacob are all playing soccer. Soccer pictures coming soon in another post. Arron is running cross country each weekend out of town. Ben and I go and one of the girls goes to watch, depending on soccer schedules. Darrel is coaching Jacob and Shayle's team so he does not get to go with me. He will get to watch 2 meets that will be held during the week.

As you can see, I have been very busy and hardly have time to turn my computer on. However, I plan to get caught up this week on Ben's website. I have posted some new pictures on there today but still have more to come. Keep checking back. Ben had day surgery last week and is finally recovering well. He will have his palate surgery/lip revision on December 1st. I will update more on that as it gets closer. Until next time.....

Pedicure Fun

Myranda and Payton went and got there nails done for a special treat. We went to my sister's baby shower and afterwards went to go get our nails done.

My grandmother is doing much better. I think they have her medications regulated and she did get to come home this week. She will be staying in the Dallas area with my mom to do 12 weeks of rehab. Thank you for your prayers, please continue to pray for her as she is still depressed and will need to complete her rehab away from home. She lives in West Tx.

Ben is doing great and keeping me very busy. I will do a monthly update on or around the 11th of each month on his website for now. When school starts back up I will have more time to blog. I have been very busy taking each of them shopping for clothes and shoes. Where did the summer go? I feel somewhat overwhelmed right now with so many things to do before school starts back up. I'm also having a hard time thinking about Shayle heading off to big school for first grade. Praying she will adjust easily and do well in a new school with new friends.

Arron did get a job and went to orientation this week. He will find out his hours tomorrow. He also got his braces off this week. He has a great smile and he's happy about not having to wear them anymore. I can't believe my baby is looking so grown up, driving and working now.

Please Pray

Please continue praying for my grandmother. She got out of the hospital last week, but only for two days. She began having some complications on last Friday and was sent by ambulance to a hospital near my mom. Once she was seen there, she was transferred back to Medical City where she was admitted to the CVICU. She has had a few rough days with her heart rate going up and down. She had more fluid on her lungs, which she had drained once before and she has been given 3 units of blood. She is scared and needs prayer for peace. I know she's thinking about her sister who passed away in April after her bypass surgery. Also, please pray for my mom and my aunt who have been by her side for the last 3 weeks. They are emotionally and physically drained and my mom really needs to be at work as she is out of vacation/sick time.

I had Darrel talk to my grandmother to try to help ease her mind. He said many of these complications are very typical for the type of valve replacement she had. She has always respected his opinion so much that I figured he may be the only one who could help her be at peace. She did get out of ICU on Tuesday of this week and will be in the hospital until they can get her medications regulated and keep her heart rate normal.

Home From The Hospital

Just a quick update....I went to see my grandmother yesterday at the hospital. She is doing much better after a few crazy days with her kidneys, lungs & breathing treatments. She has finally gone home to my mom's where she will stay for the next 3 months in order to do her rehab. I am very thankful she is out of the hosptial and she does have family to take care of her while she recovers. She lives in west Tx but will stay in the Dallas area throughout her rehab. Please continue to pray for her as she recovers and has to be away from her husband. He is not in very good health but has a close friend nearby watching out for him.

Myranda and Arron had a great week at camp and had alot of fun working with kids who came to VBS. It was good for them to be brought out of their comfort zone a little while inviting people off of the street of NM to come to VBS. Some kids came all week, and some were sporadic but seeds were planted in the lives of those little ones and their parents/grandparents! One little girl asked if they were coming back again to do VBS. She was about 6 yr old. They told her maybe they could come back next year, she said "no that is too long, you need to come back sooner." She must have really felt God's love being poored out on her. Hopefully she will come to know the Lord someday!

Payton is away at camp this week, Jacob went to my in-laws for a couple of days. Ben isn't quiet sure what to think when his siblings keep coming and going. We are leaving soon to take the kids on a short vacation. I will post again when we return.

Update on Grandmother

Thanks for all your prayers for my grandmother. She did well during her surgery, she was in surgery for 7 hours. She ended up with 2 stints being placed and the valve replacement. She is still in ICU but has come off the ventilator. She still needs prayer for her recovery and to be able to be weaned from an external pacemaker. I hope to be able to travel to see her sometime this weekend when Darrel can help with the kids.

Prayer Request

Everyone here is doing well, Ben continues to adjust and is doing better (most days) with being nice to Shayle. Arron and Myranda are away at church camp in New Mexico this week. As a part of the camp their youth group is having VBS at a local housing project, which we have been told is not open to the Gospel. Please pray with me this week for Arron and Myranda to grow even closer to God, to have a life changing experience while teaching these children and for the kids who will attend VBS to have an open heart to hear about Jesus. I have been praying for a couple of weeks for those who God will bring to VBS and for them to be receptive as well as our youth that will be teaching them God's Word, some of which have never heard the name "Jesus".

Also, my grandmother will be having a second heart surgery on Wednesday, 7/14. She had a tripple by-pass five years ago. She is now needing a stint to be placed in and her aortic valve replaced. Turns out, her aortic valve has never been the way is should be, she has had a heart defect all of her life with a small heart murmur. She is 77 yrs old and I am very close to her. She was the one who led me to my Savior over 31 years ago. I will forever be greatful to her. She is nervous as her sister just passed away in April after her heart surgery. Please lift her up for her to have peace like never before, for the doctors to be guided by The Great Physician and for her recovery. She had some trouble with her breathing and lungs after surgery last time and is concerned about that this time.

Last time, I was able to be at the hospital the entire time for her surgery, but this time I won't be able to be there the day of surgery. Ben would not be happy if he couldn't be with his mommy for an entire day and my grandmother understands this. Our family did get to go have dinner with her last week and she met Ben. Tomorrow we are going to go see her in Dallas at the hospital as Darrel will be able to go with me and entertain Ben in the waiting room. I hope to be able to go visit her again later in the week once she is out of ICU and into a room on the floor.