21 days 'til Christmas!

Well, it has been over a month since I have last posted. Fortunately, or unfortunately, there isn't much to post! We had a good Thanksgiving with Jeff's parents visiting Friday until Sunday. We had a traditional Thanksgiving meal, just on the non-traditional Saturday! It tasted the same, and we were just as thankful!

Josh is doing well. We went to his preschool Christmas program last night. It is probably the cutest thing that I have seen in a long time. The kids did a great job, and I think they should all be proud of the hard work they put into it.

Now we are getting ready for the Christmas season. Santa will be making a trip to St. Joseph on Saturday, so we will be visiting him early in the morning. Josh needs to decide what he wants from Santa this year. Last year he knew... this year, he doesn't!

We are going to a pancake feed for Sarah Macy's family this Sunday. Hopefully they will be able to raise a lot of money to help defray the costs incurred during Sarah's illness. Her family is strong in their faith. They are really amazing. It makes me wish that Josh had much more time with Sarah. I know he misses her.

Well, I will post video of Josh's program as soon as Jeff uploads it. Have a great week.

Prayers needed for Erik

Please pray for our friend Erik Troy. The link to his Caringbridge and story is on the right hand side of the blog. He had surgery last Thursday at Duke University to remove a brain tumor. He and his wife are really struggling right now with his recovery. Please send up some prayers that things start going in the right direction, and that Erik and Diane are able to come home to their son Ryan soon!

Josh is 5!

Josh had a great birthday weekend. We went to a birthday party for Kayla, our new neighbor, on Saturday (Josh's birthday). Josh really enjoyed bowling! Sunday we spent the afternoon with Josh and 14 or 15 of his closest friends at Pump it Up. Please note the adorable Scooby Doo cake... Jeff made it! What an amazing guy!

We are thankful for Josh's health, and that all his friends were able to come. Hope you enjoy the pictures! (Oh, and I am sneaking one in from the Spooktacular!)

Prayer reminder - Erik Troy

Please pray for Erik, his family, and his doctors, as tomorrow is his surgery.

Prayer Request - Erik

Jeff's boss Erik was diagnosed as having a stage 2 glioma about a month ago. He and his wife Diane will be travelling to Duke to pursue the best medical care for Erik. He is scheduled to have surgery October 16th. Please pray for Erik, Diane, their son Ryan, and their extended families. Please pray for the doctors wisdom and steady hand throughout Erik's surgery, and any future treatments. Jeff looks forward to Erik coming back to work ASAP, as he is a super boss.

We Will Miss You, Sarah Macy!

On Tuesday, September 30th, heaven gained a new angel. Josh's classmate from St. Joseph, Sarah Macy, passed away after a four month battle with Wilm's Tumor. There is a lot of sadness right now. Please pray for the Macy family, as they said goodbye to their little girl. We miss you already, Sarah! Fly high!

Update on Erik

Erik's biopsy was successful this afternoon, with sufficient samples being taken, and no hemmoraging. Erik was told on Monday that he has a phase 2 glioma. While this is non-malignant, it is still very serious. Jeff and I appreciate any prayers that you can send Erik's way.

Prayers needed

My blog tonight is to ask for prayers for our family friend/Jeff's boss, Erik. Erik had a tonic-clonic (formerly known as grand mal) seizure last weekend. Upon further testing, it has been found that Erik is suffering from a mass on his brain that is roughly 1.5 X 3 inches. Erik will be undergoing brain surgery this coming Wednesday. Please pray for him, his doctors, his wife Diane, their 7 year old son Ryan, and their family. This is a very uncertain time for them, and we are praying for a good outcome. Your prayers are much appreciated.

Trip to Texas

Here are some pics from the trip Josh and I took last weekend to Dallas to visit Jeff on his work trip. We got to spend some time with my Aunt Linda and some of her family. Josh got to see cowboys, horses, and longhorns. It was a nice trip!

More Pictures from Josh's Summer at St. Joseph EEC

Josh's Summer at St. Joseph EEC

Here are some pictures of Josh's summer program at school. He had a great time, and for that we are very thankful!

All The Way to Texas and Back!

Well, Josh is now a "world" traveler! Jeff is out of town on business for two weeks in Dallas, TX, so Josh and I joined him this weekend. It was Josh's first time flying, and overall, he did really well. We spent Friday with my Aunt Linda, Uncle Dan, cousin Kristin, her husband, Juan, and their daughter Carmela. It was a long day, but very fun! It was nice to see Linda's new house, and to meet Carmela.

Saturday we did some tourist things. We went to the aquarium in Dallas, and the Stockyards in Fort Worth. Then we rode out a storm so that Josh could take a dip in the hotel pool. All in all a great weekend. We can't wait for Jeff to get home. We miss him bunches!

We were greeted with wonderful weather back here in KC. Mid 80s... how do you like that Texas? It was so warm down there! Josh and I went to Ellery Green's 2nd b-day party this afternoon, and spent the evening hanging out. I will try to post pics of our trip later.

10 Years

Ten years ago, yesterday, July 11, 1998, Jeff and I were married. It seems so long ago, and yet like it was just yesterday. It was a sunny, hot day in South Dakota. We spent the day with 200 of our closest friends and family. We are planning a trip to Cabo in September to celebrate. Thank you to all of our friends and family for sticking with us! Here's to 50 more years (at least!)

You might be wondering how Jeff and I spent our anniversary... he spent it in Pennsylvania, and me here in Kansas City with Joshie! Not ideal, but I scored some beautiful daisies out of the whole thing! Jeff will be back tomorrow, and we will spend the day doing t-ball stuff, and all that entails!

Jeff and I were both so lucky as to have the flu last weekend, and Josh had Summer Penile Syndrome this week... that was fun! Poor kid! In case you don't know what that is, it is severe chigger bites all over the little boy parts. Apparently very common in KC... who knew? Moral of the story, don't let your kid sit in the grass!

On a positive note, Sam appears to be doing well after his Bone Marrow Transplant. You can check out his caringbridge page by clicking the link on the right side of the blog. Have a great week!

Pray for Sam and Sarah!

Hello to anyone who is reading this post. Please pray for Sam Radke (his mom is Jeff's cousin). He had a bone marrow transplant last night/this morning. Pray that the side effects aren't too much for his little body to handle. Pray that the donor marrow grabs hold, and he is filled with healthy cells.

Pray for Josh's friend Sarah Macy. She has Wilm's Tumor (kidney cancer). She has been in the hospital for over a week fighting off an infection. She has been fever free for 24 hours, so hopefully she either did, or will go home today. Josh misses you, Sarah!

What a Week!

Well, it has been an interesting, and busy week/weekend for our family! Jeff went to Chicago (again!) this week. I keep hoping that the business trips will end, or they will become further spaced out, but it seems to be going the opposite direction! I had my ambulatory EEG done beginning on Tuesday afternoon, and ending Thursday afternoon. That is an experience that I don't ever want to relive, but hope that I will find it has good results!

This weekend, my Dad and his wife Pauline rode down on the Harley from Yankton, SD. They took in a t-ball game (I think my dad liked the scenery, and I know the rest of us got a few laughs about the "PINK" lady). Pauline and I made monster cookies, and we went to Josh's favorite restaurant for supper. All in all a really nice visit. Thanks for coming, guys!

Today, we went to our friends Lonnie and Randy's for their annual shoot-out/grill-out. We only stayed for the food, and then went to Lawrence for a meet and greet with my friend Kelly's new baby, Taylor Katherine. I will post pictures of her and Josh later. She is sure a cutie! And lots of hair!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there! An extra special one goes out to my hubby, Jeff. Josh and I are so lucky to have you. Thanks for all you do. Also, to my dad, Ordell. Sorry the card is late, but I did actually buy it way early this year, just bad about getting it in the mail! I love and miss you! See you the 27th!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

Hello! I am posting my blog today in the color green. Why green? Well, as you can see in the pic, it is the color of Josh's t-ball team. It seems as if t-ball has completely taken over our lives! This was our first weekend with games, and we had two of them! They don't keep score, so Josh's team "won"! He has been enjoying it. Yesterday's game seemed awfully long, but that could have been the heat and humidity. Today's game was much more enjoyable.

Not a whole lot new is going on with us. Jeff has been doing a little bit of travelling for work. He went to Chicago for a day last week, and may be heading back there this week.

On a sad note, Josh's friend Sarah Macy (age 4) was diagnosed with stage IV Wilm's Tumor (kidney cancer that has spread to the lungs). If you are reading this, please send out a prayer for Sarah and her family. Josh really misses her at school!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all you Mom's out there! I hope everyone had a good one. For those of you like myself, who lost their mom's, I hope you had a nice day with your families, filled with many wonderful memories of your MOM!

Josh and I headed up to South Dakota/Nebraska for the weekend. We left Friday after work, and headed up with our friends, Jenny, and her 2 year old, Elizabeth. It was a long ride, but definitely nice to spend some time with Jenny, my dad and Pauline, and Phil and DelRae. Josh really enjoyed himself with his grandparents! He just loves them all so much! Last night I got to webcam with my sis and see Natalya. Boy, she is sure growing up fast! Today we headed home. It was nice to get home and see Jeff, as he had been out of town since Wednesday. He used his time wisely while we were gone. He grouted the bathroom floor, and installed the cabinets in the bathroom. Now all we need is tile on the walls, a shower door, and of course a toilet, and I think we are about done!

Josh started t-ball last week. It was great fun, and I will try to get some better pictures this week. The ones last week were pretty far away. He seemed to have a good time, and I think all those kids chasing after the ball were hilarious!

Work is going well. I am definitely staying busy, and the borrowers are keeping me on my toes. I am really enjoying my new surroundings, but missing some of my old cronies (shout out to Robb and Letty!)

Well, I guess that is all I know. Oh, please pray for Jeff's cousin's 11 month-old son, Sam. He was diagnosed with "Bubble Boy Syndrome" on April 17th. They recently took him to Cincinnati, so that he can receive chemotherapy, and a bone marrow transplant (BMT). This is a lot for them to take on, and they love their little boy so much! Stay strong, Sam! We're praying for you!

Gray

Gray... it is a very gray day! I'm about sick of it! Hopefully tomorrow will be better! Work was crazy today. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Not a lot going on down here. Just enjoying time with Josh and Jeff. Living for the weekend! Ordell and Pauline came down last weekend. It sure was nice to see them! Josh will be 4 1/2 tomorrow! I can't believe it! Til later.

Happy 1st Birthday Natty-Talya!

That's right, my baby sister's baby is 1! Happy Birthday, Natalya! I called her this morning and left a message telling her what a bad Aunty I am! I still haven't sent her present. Good thing she isn't old enough to know any better!

Well, that's all for now! Short post!

Wii!

We finally got a Wii! Yup! That was our big purchase this week. Jeff was totally opposed, but he is loving it too! He really likes the boxing. It is pretty funny! I personally like Golf, Tennis, and Bowling. Josh likes the boxing. It is the cutest thing that I have ever seen!

Josh is doing well at school. They are growing butterflies in their classrooms right now. They have 5 in his room. They named two of them... Beauty and Tommy. Guess who chose the name Tommy? You got it!

Well, that is really all there is new to report. Jeff is still busy working on the bathroom... oh, and my stepmom's campaign for city commission is drawing to a close this week. Good luck, Pauline!

Until next week!

Finally Friday!

It's finally Friday! The week seemed to drag by. I am still getting used to my CPAP machine. While I feel more rested overall, I still have to wake up to adjust, and dump water out of my tubing. I am hoping that the tips the trainer gave me today on the phone will help with that last part! I am also excited, because I ordered my new insulin pump. I am hoping to get a continuous glucose monitor, but will have to wait and see if insurance will pay for it.

Our big plans this weekend include the Johnson County Mom's of Multiples garage sale. Jeff gets all of Josh's clothes for the spring/summer season about this time every year. It is $150 or so, well spent! We usually don't have to buy him much else. Tomorrow night, Josh is going to my friend Carrie's house to play with her son Collin, while Jeff and I enjoy a night out at my co-worker/friend, AmyJo's 30th birthday party. It will be an opportunity for Jeff to meet some of my co-workers, so that will be fun. Sunday, Josh has a playdate with his BFF Jack. Should be a good time! Oh, I also need to get my niece's b-day present ready to go. She is turning one on April 9th! Pretty exciting stuff! I am including a picture of her on her horse. She almost looks like a living doll. She is adorable! Well, all for now!

Happy Easter!

We are busy this weekend celebrating the Easter season with Jeff's folks. They came down on Thursday night and took care of Josh on Friday. He is really enjoying his time with them. He and Grandma raked leaves in the yard this afternoon, baked a cake and cupcakes yesterday, colored Easter eggs yesterday. Grandpa has been busy helping Jeff with demo of our guest bath. It is down to the studs at this point.

Hope this finds everyone doing well, and enjoying their Easter!

Three babies!

Well, our friends have been very busy in the last seven days! Believe it or not, all three of the pregnant people that we know had babies this week! Congratulations to Casey and Mychael on the birth of Chase Mychael. Congratulations to Mitch and Jill on the birth of Addison Joann (or as Josh calls her... Radison!). And today, Barrie and Tona welcomed another little boy. The name has yet to be announced!

Things are going good here. We are all staying busy. It is about 70 degrees today. We are enjoying it, as I am told that it is supposed to snow on Saturday. I hate snow. I am going to get a massage on Sunday, as the doctor told me that I have a strained muscle in my neck. The strain in the muscle is pulling on my skull. YEOUCH! It does not feel good! I also got the results back from my second sleep study. The first one said that I was snoring so loud that I would wake myself up 15 times... an hour! With the CPAP therapy, I was down to less than 2 times... an hour! That is less in a whole night, than I was waking up in one hour! Needless to say, I am anxious to get my CPAP machine and start getting some good sleep! It will be nice for Jeff to get some good sleep too!

This weekend, Josh and I are going to go see the new Dr. Seuss movie "Horton Hears a Who" with Avery and her mom, Kara. It promises to be a good time for all (probably moreso Josh and Avery, than Kara and I!)

Farewell Dee! We will miss you!

Our dear, sweet neighbor Dee Harper passed away last night. We have lived by her for two days shy of eight years. Jeff, Josh and I loved her and her husband Bob who passed away January 2007. We will miss Dee greatly, and know that she and Bob are reunited in Heaven.

I was explaining to Josh that Dee had died, and that she went to Heaven to be with Bob. Josh said, "Did she take an airplane?" Leave it to a four year old to make you feel better when you are sad!

I forgot I had a blog!

Well, the title is no joke. I literally forgot that I have a blog. Not a whole lot new is going on here. Josh and I have both been sick, but are almost over it. Jeff is taking a work trip next week, so we are enjoying a little family time this weekend. Oh, and Josh has a play date with his girlfriend, Avery Green tomorrow. It should be fun! In this post, Josh and Avery. And Josh after Avery left... a little tired!