updates without pics----sorry!

While I know I promised many of you Halloween pics of my cuties it will not be for a while--sorry! I went to blog the other day and lo and behold my computer would not turn on. You go away for a week and the computer goes crazy! Anyway, we are in the process of having our hard drive transferred onto a new hard drive so that we can have a computer again----aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh! So that means my picture days are over until I get my hard drive back because I am too cheap to go buy a card reader for our laptop---all that money is going to replace the hard drive.
All to say, I will give you updates via the written word. I can see the anticipation mounting already!
Me- well baby and I are doing well. We had our ultrasound last week and brought home about 15 pictures, the sonographer was more than generous. We did not find out the gender and will anticipate meeting our new little one next spring. The baby is doing well and growing and moving all over. I will post some pics when we get everything up and running.
Jeff- Jeff will be ordained this week at church which has been a long time coming but will be very exciting. Because Redwood is not part of a denomination they have preferred that a Masters is obtained before one is ordained. I think it is for accountability reasons and a standard that they will not just give away ordinations. So he had to complete his Masters and then write a paper and be interviewed by a panel and then have the congregation vote as to approve the Elders recommendation for ordination. So on Sunday you can call him Reverend if you like (teehee!).
Rayah- Some of you know Rayah had her front right tooth pulled 2 weeks ago:(. She fell face first on concrete about 6 months ago- her mouth being the first thing to hit the concrete and in process she knocked her front right tooth back. Let's just say the scene was less than pleasant but we were grateful that with everything that did get bruised and battered, her skull remained all together and fine. Anyway the tooth (as our very smart dentist said it would) healed and rose back up into place. Fast forward 6 months and I noticed that there was a bump on her gum right above the tooth that was hurt previously. We were referred to a Pediatric Dentist who informed us that indeed our dentist was correct once again and the tooth had died and there was an infection. All to say while I was enjoying frozen hot chocolate in NYC (great trip), my eldest was quite a trooper with numbing cream, nitrous oxide, shots, and a tooth pulled and NO TEARS. Jeff said she did great and upon my return I saw this cute, big hole right up front in her mouth and she was so proud. She said the "tooth was sick and it needed to go". (pics will be coming soon).
Ashlyn- Ashlyn is doing great and talking more and more. The tubes and her ears look great. We are definitely 2 and wanting to do things "myself" but adorable all the while. I will include pics from Halloween soon. She and Rayah wore the costumes my mom had made for my brother and I when we were little- the only ones she saved which was very helpful. Rayah was a squaw and Ashlyn the buffalo warrior/hunter- both absolutely adorable!

My sis- I know a while back the docs said she probably had MS and after more testing and waiting they aren't sure anymore what she has--frustrating! They said it could be a rare form of MS but they don't know. She has a new Primary Doctor who is an answer to prayer and is very progressive. She will be running more tests and if nothing is found will probably refer her to the Mayo Clinic in AZ for some intense testing.

Nathan- Our little buddy from Louisville who has been fighting Stage 4 Neuroblastma (cancer that started in the abdomen) is just about to start his 2nd stage of stem cell transplant. He just came out of the hospital after almost 6 miserable weeks with the first stage but he is hanging in there. Some days are better than others but these transplant rounds are extremely intense to put it mildly. Please continue to pray for his healing and strength for his mom,dad, sister and brother. God continues to show that His grace is sufficient everyday and that is what sustains them to keep going.

Lisa- Last post I mentioned that I would fill you in on one of my best friends who just was diagnosed with breast cancer at 34 years old. To say it was a shock to all of us and the doctors would be an understatement. After one month of her diagnosis (she found a lump in June that she was told was nothing to worry about) we know that (PRAISE GOD) she has Stage 1 cancer that is estrogen based (meaning fast growing) and is poorly differentiated (meaning has finger like crawlers vs a solid mass) and the surgeon was able to remove it during her lumpectomy. As of now they believe she is clear (PRAISE GOD) but because of her age and the type of cancer it was and size they are going to have her start chemotherapy and then radiation after that. That was a bummer but she knows that she would rather be safe and kill any minuscule traces than have it return. She finds out today what her treatment will be. Please be in prayer for her as this will obviously take a toll on her and her family (3 kiddos all young). We do have a huge support group for her and she will be taken great care of but you can imagine the challenge this will be with little ones around. She and all of us Praise the Lord for giving her and Steve a tremendous sense of peace.

Last but not least by far, we never have paid tribute to Jeff's grandma on the blog, as we want to do it right we will wait for pics and I will let Jeff post about her. She died at the end of September and was an example all the way to her home. It was bittersweet to say goodbye and yet so sweet to she the peace and anticipation she had to see her Lord and Savior. I want to go home like Grandma!