Life is Good~

Things have been so busy lately that I almost forgot to post an update on Mother's G*R*E*A*T news!! We went to the Oncologist last week and things look great, blood work is great, and things are still shrinking!! We also went to the Radiologist and the tumors in her brain are Gone!! He doesn't even want to see her anymore!! She is graduating too!! We have so much to be thankful for!! God IS good ALL the time!!

Owen, you are 1 year old!

I know it sounds so cliche... but it really does seem like yesterday that we were welcoming you here~ on the outside! You are such a sweet, precious baby. I pray you will always stay your fun playful self.

Happy Birthday, Owen!

Graduation Day!

I finally did it!! Accomplished something I have been working on for years... well 30 to be exact! I have finally received my Associate of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education! I have always wanted to finish my degree... and now I'm half way there! I thank God for this blessing of education and for my teachers who helped me achieve this goal.

I also have my Mother to thank for inspiring me to realize my dreams and live them. She is my hero!

I am also thankful to my husband and children for helping me along this journey. And to my friends who were there for me through the blood, sweat, and tears (algebra!) I say thank you as well! Now I'm on to the next step... hopefully it will be at Appalachian State University!

I hope somewhere along the way I will help open a child's mind and inspire him or her to reach their highest potential and live their dreams!

Never stop believing in yourself~

Saying Good Bye~

I don't know if I should be happy or sad. Today I said good bye to a very dear old friend.... our house. That's right our house has finally sold and now it's time to move on to our new house and soon call it home.

This house was our first home. Ken and I got engaged in this house, married, started our family, raised lots of animals, had many friends over for many fun parties, celebrated many happy times. We shared many first in this house; first anniversaries, first baby (and second), first steps, first birthdays, first big snow~. We have 15 years of very happy memories in this house.

When the moving truck pulled away I cried and cried.... for 10 minutes I balled my eyes out... saying good bye to an old friend that I could always count on to be there for me... saying good bye to an old friend I could always find comfort in, saying good bye to the yard my children felt their first blade of grass under their little bare feet, saying good bye to the one place I knew would be waiting for me to hold me and keep me safe.

The one thing that is going to be very hard is saying good bye to great neighbors~ We couldn't have been more blessed to have had great neighbors~ All of them have been wonderful. We had so many happy times with all of them. I will never forget Halloween and the 4th of July! What great memories.

I pray that the new owners have as many fun memories as we did. I pray they will love this house as much as we did.

Now we are moving on to make new memories in our new house... but that is another blog waiting to happen.... more to come~

Trying to Catch Up~

WOW~ I have really got to play catch up!

Where has the time gone! I realize I havent posted in so long. You don't really realize how much you do in a months time (or 3 for that matter). Let me see, where do I begin...

January - We celebrated Kenton's 13th B-day! Hold on.... let me get a hankie! - tear! I can't believe my fist born is 13 years old! 13!! in 13 years from now he will be 26! wow... I'm just going to put that thought in the back of my head! He is getting so big and is becoming such a wonderful big Man!

February - They found 5 more tumors in Mother's brain and she underwent 14 rounds of full brain radiation treatment. She is doing better and hopefully we will have great results the next MRI - scheduled for March 25 - send up prayers!

March - We had our last snow of the season... it wasn't much but hey... it was snow none the less! Peyton was so excited; he got to make a snowman and then Kenton joined in on the fun! I think they did a wonderful job! The eyes are radishes and the nose is a carrot!

Well that about wraps it up for the month of March! I have some very exciting news coming up very soon!! can't wait to share! but for now you will just have to wait~ blessings, marylee

Blessings for a Great New Year!

Happy New Year! 2008~ it IS going to be Great!

I am looking forward to a fresh new start to a new year. So much has happened this past year; it all seems like a blurr. Ken taking on another job, putting our house on the market (which I might add still hasn't sold- since MAY!), Kenton having ear surgery, Mother getting sick, Jakayla getting sick, family members falling out of touch. It's been a very trying year.

But there has been so much to be thankful for too! Owen coming into this world and being healthy! Mother getting great news about the cancer! And both of our kids being healthy!

I know God is good ~ all the time.

Even though this year has had it's ups and downs, I know I do have so much to be thankful for and that I am so blessed! I pray that I will be able to bless others this new year as well.

We had a great Christmas! Mother and George came over Christmas day and we had a blast. This is a pic of the kids teaching her how to play the Wii! Too much fun!

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!

Wow.. I never thought I would be living through this phrase.... but this past Sunday Peyton popped Kenton in the eye with an air soft b-b gun. Yep... right in the eye! Just as Kenton took off his eye wear Peyton shot his gun and sure enough it went right towards Kenton's eye. It couldn't have been on his leg or arm... but right in his eye!

He cut his cornea and has lots of swelling behind his eye. So after a trip to the eye doc, and lots of eye drops and TLC, I think he's going to be OK! He thinks the coolest thing is wearing the dark sun glasses. But through all of this, it hasn't stooped him from playing on his X-box!

Peyton was so sorry and now has to do Kenton's chores for a month. Well I guess boys will be boys.