Happy 10th Birthday JP

Happy Birthday Buddy!

 

You have brought sunshine, joy, and happiness to this family when you entered the world 10 years ago.

 

 

Every year that passes we are amazed at the young man God is making you.  Your smile is infectious.  Your loyalty to your friends and your desire to do what is right is  is admirable.

 

You are a loving and caring little brother to Shelby and a protective, playful brother to Sadie.

 

Without you our family would be incomplete and we thank the Lord that he saw fit to bless us with you!

 

We love you and happy birthday!



Here's the Thing

Here's the thing about cancer that no one can fully explain to you or that you can prepare yourself for....

 

About 6 years ago we started on a journey of cancer with my mom.  She found out she had cancer, but fortunately at the time it was an easy fix...remove the cancer and do a few quick rounds of radiation, badda bing, badda boom-so long cancer and stay out!

 

End of story or so we thought.....

 

Early 2016-Mom develops a cough.  No big deal, people get coughs all the time.  Plus it was cold season and we were also moving into allergy season.  Easy fix...take some cold medicine...not so much, well okay-let's try the allergy medicine...still coughing-Argh!!!

 

End of July, mom has her yearly appointment with her oncologist.  Everything checked out great, but oh wait, you see, I have this cough and have tried all the usual remedies.  Dr. says that it probably is nothing but given that her previous cancer had been known to settle in the lungs next she does a chest x-ray to be sure.  Normally if this was going to happen it would happen within 2-3 years of original diagnosis so we were confident it would be clear and maybe mom just had some crazy infection.

 

August comes around and we head to Charleston for a CT scan as the x-ray did show something not quite right.  Still, trying to be optimistic we go the infection route...biopsy done on two of the nodules...results...

 

But here's the thing about cancer....

MOM'S CANCER IS BACK

 

Ok, no big deal, she beat it before and was cancer free.  Let's just take it out again.  Wait, what, no...that isn't possible.  Well, this sucks!!  Our hope is to shrink it with chemo-1 treatment every 3 weeks for 6 rounds.  Maybe it will go into remission and that would be great.

 

Mom's last chemo treatment was the Monday before Christmas.  It was timed quite nicely as she had enough time to start to feel better in order to enjoy all the family festivities of the day.

 

Two days before New Year-ct scan to see what we can see...

 

Results yesterday-all nodules have shrunk.  EVERY SINGLE ONE!  Chemo is working....

 

BUT here's the thing with cancer...

The treatment can be just as terrible as the disease itself

. 

The side effects were starting to take their toll on mom and now we wait. 

 

 We wait for three months until her next ct scan. 

 

We wait in prayer and in hope and in faith that no matter what God is in control and working out His divine plan.  These have been the hardest months-many days of tears and fears and questioning why-but through it all God is has been faithful to give us what we need with each new challenge.

 

Here's the thing about caner...

It might be the silent killer.

It does destroy lives on this earth.

It is a strong foe to contend with...

BUT-

God is bigger and we will not fear because He is Lord of All!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

I wonder what it is that makes everyone consider years past, future goals and change at the end of every year.  Maybe it is because a period of time is coming to a close according to the human calendar?  Or maybe something entirely different.  Christmas and New Year brings a lot of emotions to many different people.  For me, there is always a mixture of emotions...Joy over celebrating my saviors birth, excitement over a new year with new possibilities, frustration over goals not met, sadness over lost opportunity, wonder of what will be, comfort that no matter what God is in control...and the list goes on and on.

 

We try to hold certain traditions at Christmas to commemorate the birth of Jesus and celebrate our family.  One of the favorites is brunch with Santa.  Every year we take pictures and every year it is amazing to look back and see the growth of the children.  Shelby has finally overcome her fear of the jolly old man.  She won't sit on his lap, who can blame her...she is 12 after all, but she doesn't mind being in the same room as him. 

 

Back in the day Dove Street lights were actually on Dove Street and they were amazing!! One of my family traditions was to drive down to see the lights and every year it seemed that the lights got bigger and better.  Well, as the years have gone on the lights got to be too much for the little beach street so now they put up the "Dove Street" lights at Shelter Cove. We took the children this year and it was so much fun to see the excitement and delight in Sadie as we walked down the street.  She would skip from tree to tree and then call out the color of the lights on the tree.  It tickled us pink to watch her and listen to her.

 





 

This is another picture that has changed so much over the years.  Sadie was being camera shy Christmas Eve so she wasn't in the picture this year, but can I tell you...these children are growing up and growing up fast!!!  We have been taking Christmas Eve pictures with the Alberts since JP was in diapers. 

 

As I reflect on this past year it is amazing to think of how much things have changed.  Some changes were exciting to watch and be a part of, some changes were tough to grow through and some changes are still being played out into the new year.  Whatever happens we know that in all things God will work out His perfect plan for His glory and for that I am thankful.

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

We Are Thankful

What a wonderful Thanksgiving we had last week!!  It was such a sweet time of family, laughter, food, fun and football. 

 

To kick off the festivities JP's class did a wax museum of people from the Mayflower and Early Settlers.  JP was so cute dressed as John Smith and he did an amazing job sitting extra still while waiting for someone to "push" his button to make him come to life to share his story.

 

 

One of my most favorite Thanksgiving traditions we do is our thankful turkey.  Every night from November 1 until Thanksgiving Day we write on a feather what we are thankful for and fill in our turkey.  It is so fun to see what people are thankful for each day.  Sometimes they were silly and sometimes they were serious, but it just goes to show that no matter what there is always something to be thankful for.

 

Sadie, little miss independent 3 year old, decided she didn't want help writing what she was thankful for on her feathers so hers are the ones with the lovely scribbles.  Each night, as we were putting up the feathers and reading off what each person wrote, we would ask her what she was thankful for and she would reply with either "My crossfit friends" or "Crossfit".  It cracked us up! 

 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!



Shelby Graduates 5th Grade

Just like everything in life with children-time flies way to fast...and yet sometimes it has the uncanny ability to creep by ever so slowly as if it is almost standing still.  Looking back over the years as a whole leaves you feeling like you missed out on so much and that is how I felt in May when I watched our oldest child get honored for completing her elementary career.  Words cannot describe the joy and thankfulness I felt as I watched her teachers honor her and pray over her and encourage her.  What an amazing blessing to be a part of a school that not only cares about our children's academic achievement, but deeply cares about their spiritual development.

 

 

Shelby receiving her recognition from her two teachers-Mrs. Lehman and Mrs. Robinson

 

 

Yay!  We made it! 

Shelby, Bridget and Lilly celebrate.

 

One of my favorite talents of Shelby is her photography.  I mean, this girl can take some amazing pictures!!  She definitely didn't get that knack from her mother.  These are just two samplings of some pictures she has taken.  I think this year for Sadie's grandparent picture I am going to use one that she took of her as Sadie was less then thrilled to participate in school pictures.  She might be the only girl in the history of May River Montessori to refuse a picture.

 

Red Shoes

Well-if I was titling this picture that is what I would call it

 

Shrimp Boats on a Cloudy Day

And this picture was taken with my cell phone.  I mean, seriously!! This girl has some pretty good talent if you ask me.



Did I mention We had a Baby

So did I ever mention we had a baby???  Yes, we did and it has been almost 9 months since the beautiful day that our sweet Sadie entered the world.  She was born on October 1, 2013 at 3:15pm.  She weighed 7lbs 4 oz and was 18 in long.  While starting all over with a baby has been challenging plus we moved twice we have loved and adored her.

Shelby and JP have taken very nicely to being big sister and big brother to Sadie and she loves them to pieces.  It is so much fun to watch Sadie light up and smile when she sees them walk into a room.

So now next week she will be 9 months old!!!  NINE MONTHS!!!  Where does the time go?!?!?!  I vowed when I was pregnant with her to enjoy every minute as I knew it would be the last time I would go through the pregnancy stage, the labor stage, the newborn stage, etc.  And I am doing exactly that. 

Sadie, you are a precious gift from God and we are so honored that He gave you to us. 

We love you!



The Things Out of A Child's Mouth

Yesterday on the way to a party Shelby, JP and I were discussing Shelby's upcoming root canal and somehow we got on the subject of Pratt and how many times he has had surgery and been sedated for various procedures.  Here is JP's take on it:

"Daddy has had a lot of things done to his body.  He had this shoulder and his knee and that one where he had to put frozen peas on his privates."

I almost crashed into a tree!!!  The best part was that he just said it so matter of fact.  He wasn't trying to be funny or make a joke.  He just was listing out all the things that daddy has had to have done to him.