Happy Birthday My Man!

Riley,

I cannot believe that 5 years ago you graced us with your presence.  You are such a joy to have around.  You really are the most laid back, well-mannered child that parent could ask for.  There has not been a Sunday school teacher, Preschool teacher, babysitter, family member, VBS teacher or camp counselor that doesn't say the best things about you after being around you.  From the Camper of the Week award to your teachers this year going on and on about how you need to go to kindergarten, you truly do exceed our expectations all the time. 

I love the way we can sing to each other....you learn the lyrics of every song just like me.  You can hear a song only a handful of times and you know every word.  You also memorize the lines to your movies (I did the same thing :)  You amaze me and anyone who is around you with this talent.  Your smile is amazing to me too.  I can look at you and when you smile at me, it melts my heart.

You also have such love for God and a sound biblical foundation laid for you.  You love to read the Bible at night.  And when you pray, I am awe struck.  I cannot believe you are as young as you are, praying the way you do.  You are so mature.

You love wrestling, beyblades, pokemon, swimming and playing your DS.  This birthday is so bittersweet to me....I am so excited to see what you will become and to see how good you are in school, but I cannot believe you are going to school.  You will always be my baby!!!!

Gig'em and Hook'em!!!

I love you,
Mommy!!!

Tubes, Set Number 2

Riley has had 4 major ear infections since March 30th, so after visiting with the ENT, we all decided it was best to have tubes put back in.  He had his first set done when he was about 10 1/2 months old, along with adenoid removal.  This surgery helped him sooooo much.  He wasn't sick for about a year and half.  I am hoping for the same this time around.  Since we have his allergies under control and now we have tubes, I hope we stay really really healthy for a while. 

Riley has always been an AWESOME patient and today was no different.  He woke up like a big boy (we had to be there at 6am), he waited patiently like a big boy, he took his "margarita" to relax him and went back to the OR like a big boy.  It is nice that he is so good because his sister is not, but it is still so hard to send your little ones back to the OR.  The surgery seriously took less than 10 minutes and he was in recovery for about 15-20 minutes.  We were home by 8:30.  The patient is doing great and thanks to Memaw for holding the fort down while we had Riley's surgery. 

Thank you God for blessing me with Riley.....and keeping him safe for me today.  :D

Summer Fun Birthday Party

For Riley's 3rd birthday, we reserved our community pool for his party and it was a big hit.  Since the kids love to swim, I thought it would be cool to just do 1 party and have it at the pool again.  (While I can - I realize a combined party won't work forever!)  The only time we could really do it is Sunday mornings from 10-12.  So yesterday, Casey and I and two VERY excited kiddos head to the pool at 9:45 so we can set up and be ready for our guests.  We get there and wait and wait and wait.  Nana shows up, Papaw, Rick and Tricia and the kids.....well, the whole party shows up and we are still WAITING outside the pool gates.  No lifeguards to let us in.  I had checked this week with the woman that I coordinated the party with and we were all a go.  Hmmm, someone didn't get that memo!  I had her number and made some calls and apparently, the "office" had it down on the correct day, but the "field" (lifeguard coordinator) had us down for Monday from 10-12 (which is not even a possible time so that makes no sense).  The guards finally showed up about 10:35, and it all worked out, but I was FUMING.  My cake was melting, my guest were hot, and most of my guests are little guys and had no idea what was going on.  They just kept looking at the pool wanting to swim.  The manager called me and told me that we would get some kind of a refund (I am about to call on that now) and so I calmed down and we had a good time.

Riley and Bentley got a new swim suit for the occasion and Aunt Tricia made them shirts to wear.  We had pizza, cake (an eggless one too) and swam and played!!!  Thanks to everyone who came and I am sorry again for the sweaty "preparty!"

The birthday guy and gal

MOMMY

DADDY

Bentley and Nana

Anna is a little fish and so is Cole, but I didn't get his picture.  The boys were not near as willing as the girls to take pics

Bentley

MEMAW - she is my life saver!  I love that Memaw!!!

RT with his water gun

The eggless Tangled cake

The full of eggs Transformer cake

Uncle Ricky and Pierce

My babies, my pride and joy

Blowing out the candles

Riley and Anna

Bentley got her some eggless cake and LOVED it!

Riley and Papaw

Memaw, Baby Cayden, and Anna

Give me a Shot

I saw Dr. Rubin last Tuesday.  She explained that the tissue in my foot is scar tissue.  Apparently, scar tissue usually lays in flat plains that flow in one direction (kinda like the grain in wood), but mine does not.  It is all jumbled up and flowing in more than one direction, which is what makes it painful.  The scar tissue I have is thick, dense and deep.  She said that it would not make sense to surgically remove it because I would just develop more.  She suggested that we use steroid therapy to help reduce the scar tissue.  We had tried that before, but after 2 injections, we checked to see if the problem was bigger or different than what we thought.  With that said, she injected me with cortizone and anesthesia and told me to come back in two weeks.  We will continue this every 2 weeks until it is better along with shaving the area down.  So far, it has helped but it is not gone.  I believe and have faith that this will work.  I will have my foot back! 

Foot Update

Dr. Rubin's office called this afternoon and the biopsy came back benign!!!!   The biopsy shows that it is scar tissue.  I am so greatful and my heart is so full of joy.  I know God answers prayers, I believe it.  I have been faces with possible dealings with cancer and I have been blessed twice now. 

I do, however, want continued prayer for this pain to end.  I go to see the dr. tomorrow and I am really wanting answers, now that she knows what we are dealing with.  I want to eliminate this pain for the long haul and put this behind me.  I have had problems with scar tissue in the past and we will address that tomorrow.

Thanks for all of your prayers, they have worked.  God is good!

Foot Update

Well, I had a cruddy, yet eventful day yesterday. I have been having continued pain that just keeps getting worse in my foot.  I called Dr. Rubin and she felt like the tumor may have grown back.  I had an MRI last Thursday and Monday evening, the nurse called with my results. She said the MRI showed a collection of fluid and not to worry, but to call and schedule an appointment to review the MRI. Casey and I were both relieved and praising God for answered prayers because the tumor had not come back. I went to my appoinment yesterday with the expectation that she would possibly drain the fluid and send me on my way.  I figured I would have a small bobo of some sort, but that it would all be downhill from here.  Well, it didn't unfold like that and that fact alone was very frustrating to me. I have been battling foot pain, all kinds of shot therapy, surgery, wraps, orthodics, etc for over 18 months now and I have pretty much had it. She explained that the fluid is 2 mm which is a very small amount of fluid and it would not have my foot in the shape that it is in. She asked me if we had biopsied the tissue we had removed before (over past appointments, she would shave my callus down) and I said no. She told me then she was going to bioposy the hard "lesion" as she calls it to see what we are dealing with. After a painful biopsy, she said that I would have my results in a week. She wants to rule cancer out and then we will go from there. Whatever this extremely hard, thick lesion is, it is attached to/or pressing against my nerve which is why this is so painful. I went to my mom's after the appointment until Casey came home and then I took some pain meds and went to bed.
I am to stay off my feet for a couple of days (yeah right) and rest up. Please continue to pray for me. For the obvious, that this is not cancer, and that it can be resolved. But also for my attitude and my faith. I am very upset and frustrated and I just really want closure. I am trying to understand that this is part of a plan and rest assured everything will work out as God has intended. It is just hard at times. Thanks for all of your prayers and support.

Bentley's Birthday Pics

We are doing a combined party for Riley and Bentley this year, but we had a small celebration on Sunday for Bentley.  First, I took her for her first pedicure with Elyse and Aunt Tricia.  She LOVED it!  The salon had chairs that were made for little kids and it was so cute.  She picked out her polish (HOT pink) and then went to her chair.  I thought that she would not like the filing, clipping, and such, but she didn't even flinch.  She was even holding her hands out before and during them painting them - it was soooo cute.  She told the lady doing her nails she wanted them zebra....I kid you not!  So that is what she got!

Then we went home for grilled hamburgers, hot dogs and boudain.  Memaw and Elyse, Nana and PawPaw Ric, and Ryan and Terie helped Miss B celebrate.  She got tons of princess gifts and loot.  I made her an eggless cake and it was actually pretty good.  All in all, it was a great day. 

Bentley and her best friend Elyse

BB and her Aunt Tricia

Look at me in my Princess Chair

Filing her toes

I know I am biased, but that is my gorgeous angel

Tada!!!!  Zebra toes

Riley got a "bag of tricks" from Nana and that was the hit of the night...here he is with a nail in his finger

BB opening gifts

Uncle Ryan and his nail in his finger

She just blew out all the candles

I got the Tangled tower.....

AND I AM PUMPED!

The next morning, dressed in my usual attire with my new lip gloss on....thanks Aunt T

3 Years Old Already????

It has been such a crazy weekend, I am just now sitting down to blog about my baby girl's 3rd birthday....

Oh Bentley......how you make my world complete.  I probably always go back to this, but this is just one of the many ties that bind us....
Three years ago, so much happened.  My world changed in so many ways, I really could have come unraveled at the seams.  But between God's grace and your smiling face, I persevered.  First, I knew my company was going down and in flames.  That was so sad to me....I really enjoyed working there and I also met tons of great friends.  Many of which I am still close to today, in fact, even closer to today than I was then.  I had been with Royce for 6 years and I was pregnant and emotional and it was really hard to let that chapter of my life close.  I knew I was going to stay home once you arrived (due date 7/27/08), but I was going to work until you graced our presence. 

Then, on March 30th, the most traumatic event that has happened in my 33 years (at that time) took place.  I lost my father on a Sunday morning and it was the toughest time in my life.  I so wanted to crawl in a hole and die really.  I had Riley, but Casey took great care of him knowing I was hurting so bad.  But you were a part of me....you were 100% dependent on my actions.  On one hand, that was so tough on me, but on the other hand, I HAD to go on, for your sake and mine.  One day when you are pregnant with your child, you will understand how your emotions are just slightly out of control and you will appreciate this situation.  Between you and the good Lord, I made it...every day.  I ate, I rested and I cried a lot.  Time passed and some complications arose.  My body could not really carry you any longer.  So on June 26th, I woke up having contractions about 3 1/2 minutes apart and called the dr.  He told me to come in and we would just deliver you.  You were 5 weeks early, and the nurse was talking to me about how you would spend time in the NICU since you were early and that would be normal.  But God didn't think that was really what you needed.  He knew you needed to get me through the hurt that came along with you being the only grandchild that Tom Oliver never met.  So that is just what happened...you went to the NICU for about 4 hours and then you were sent to me.  You were fine...lungs, blood sugar, heart rate -everything!!!  Steven sent my placenta off to the lab to be tested and the results showed that my placenta was failing so that you probably would not have made it through the weekend (you were born on a Thursday). 

You were a miracle to me in so many ways and you still are.  I love you more and more every day and I believe that I am the lucky one.  I thank God for you everyday because I lost one of the most important people to me and less than 3 months later I gained a different one. 

Happy birthday baby girl....Pawpaw Tom would be so proud of you!