My Great Family!

Payton's Class Christmas Party

2011-12-15T19:22:00.000-08:00

Payton with his teacher Mrs. Ogle

Frosting Christmas Trees

Making Christmas Ornamnets

Making Bird Feeders

Making Necklaces

Playing Games

Blue Bonnet Christmas Social with Santa

2011-12-12T19:57:00.000-08:00

Payton making his list to Santa

Thanksgiving with the Gonzalez Family

2011-11-24T20:13:00.000-08:00

Payton's 3 1/2 Year After Treatment Scans and Checkup

2011-11-11T17:19:00.000-08:00

Payton's scans were on 8/22/11. I am slow getting caught up on my posts.

Payton had his 3 ½ year after treatment scans and check-up at Cook’s. Payton is doing well at understanding what is going on now. He handled it so well when I told him that he couldn’t eat or drink anything. He has grown up so much and has become such a sweet little boy. Payton also had his Echo/EKG to test his heart.

After Payton’s scans and testing we headed over for his appointment with Dr. Bowman. I was a bit nervous when I arrived at the Hematology Oncology Clinic to receive Payton’s results. After arriving the lady at the front desk informed me that they had been waiting for us to arrive. In all of our times of going, I have never heard that. We were immediately taken back which never happens either. Dr. Bowman came into the room and informed us that he had decided to pick Payton to be on a Cook’s commercial with him that will air in Waco. They were going to film for the commercial in the next 30 minutes. What a surprise. I was relieved to hear that’s what the rush was about. Dr. Bowman informed us of the good news…all of Payton’s scans and testing showed up negative. He also gave us a letter from The Children’s Oncology Group talking about how Payton’s protocol had been closed. It hit me really hard when he expressed how lucky we are that Payton made it through this regimen with very minimal complications. It was another reminder that Payton’s life is in Heavenly Father’s hands and he is being watched over. I got all teary-eyed and it really has made me realize how blessed I am. Payton was so cute while filming for the Cook’s Commercial. It was really special to see him with Dr. Bowman the man that has helped us endure a lot over the past 4 ½ year. What a true blessing it has been to have him in our lives. I don’t take any clean scans for granted. I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to raise my little guy and that he is doing so well. I wonder if this little guy will ever realize the amount of prayers that have been said on his behalf. With great news, I can face life again.

Payton disguised his turkey as Darth Vader for school

2011-11-06T20:17:00.000-08:00

1st Day Back to School

2011-08-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

Payton and Savannah's 1st Day Back to School. Payton is going into 1st Grade at BlueBonnet and Savannah is going into 5th grade at Park Wood Hill Intermediate School. Both kids were very excited.

Malcom, Savannah and Olivia. This is our carpool crew for Park Wood Hill.

Payton and his friend Geoffrey. Geoffrey is Payton's class this year.

Payton in front of Mrs. Ogle's door.

Payton with his friend Lorenzo. Lorenzo was in Payton's Kindergarten class last year.

Payton with his friend Nicky. Nicky is in Payton's class this year.

Payton at his desk.

Payton with Zoe. This is our carpool crew for BlueBonnet

Payton's accident

2011-08-04T21:40:00.000-07:00

The kids have been asking to go to Chuck E Cheese sometime this summer, so on Thursday we decided that we would go. Payton was so excited to get his tokens to play some games. He wanted to count all of his tokens by himself since he loves to count these days. We had been there about 10 minutes and Payton was so excited to come show me some tickets that he had won. He came running over to show me and tripped and fell flat into a corner of a bench. Payton hitting the bench made a loud noise and I just knew that it was not a good thing. Payton got up and I could see right away that it was bad enough that he would need stitches. Payton was not crying at all which concerned me, I thought that maybe he had a concussion. We laid him down on a table to assess his head and put pressure on his wound. Payton was still calm and was just looking around the room. We started asking him questions to what happened and he just calmly answered them. Payton’s head was bleeding a lot, so I knew that we needed to get him seen quickly. We gathered our stuff, got into the car and drove to Cook’s. We arrived at Cook’s and were immediately seen. The doctor confirmed that Payton’s incision was deep enough that he would need stitches. A nurse came in and put some numbing cream on the incision. Payton sat there the whole time and never cried or flinched a bit. They came back and stitched Payton up. Five stitches total and Payton actually fell asleep while they were putting the stitches in. Payton has a high pain tolerance and I believe it is because of all he has been through. I was totally amazed that he never cried or flinched at all. What a brave little guy. Payton did much better than I did, I was a total mess. Payton seems to trip a lot; it is a side effect of one of the chemo drugs that he received, but it is hard to know if that is it. Payton will have his stitches in for five days.

We were all so excited to finally be getting home. When we arrived home I could tell that our house felt a little warmer than usual. I didn’t think much about it since we have been in the 100’s for over 36 straight days. Our house continued to get warmer through the evening and I noticed the temperature was going up instead of down. We checked the vents and they were blowing out hot air. What a rough day it had been. We were lucky we had a window ac unit in our garage. We pulled it out and put it in our bedroom window and closed all the doors. It was an uncomfortable night. First thing the next morning we were on the phone with our landlord hoping to get it fixed. We were told they would send someone out between the hours of 1 to 6 p.m. and that we needed to stay there during that time frame. Savannah went to a friend’s house and Payton and I rented a movie and sat in front of the window unit and waited it out. It was miserable and I felt bad for Payton, but he was such a trouper. At 5:00 they finally showed up. It was the capacitor that had gone out so they were able to quickly fix it. What a crazy 24 hours I was ready to have over. I am very grateful for a/c in this miserable heat spell that we are having. I am grateful that Payton did as well as he did with his stitches. While we were waiting I said a prayer that he would do well with his stitches and that he would stay calm. Payton has his scans coming up the first week of September and I didn’t want to scare him or make it a traumatic experience so that he had a hard time coming back. I feel that I am constantly being blessed with him and everything keeps working out the way it is supposed to.

Payton waiting to get his stitches
Payton just after getting his stitches in. I cannot believe that he is smiling.
Payton is very proud of himself because he received a brave kid cape for being so good. He was also excited that he got a popsicle.
A couple days later at home.

Nash Farms Grapevine

2011-07-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

We spent a morning visiting Nash Farms in Grapevine. This house was established in 1859. Payton could hardly believe that the house was 152 years old. The kids enjoyed eating homemade ice cream, playing on the old tractors, going on a tractor ride, seeing animals, watering plants, digging in the garden and picking cotton from the farm. It was a fun day spent with friends.

Payton's final day of swim lessons

2011-07-28T21:01:00.000-07:00

Payton received a blue ribbon and a red slushy for completing swim lessons. He did such a great job and I am so pleased that he is finally swimming.

Payton with his teacher Ms. Amy

A fun day bowling with friends

2011-07-25T15:28:00.001-07:00

Legoland at Grapevine Mills

2011-07-22T16:04:00.000-07:00

Playing with legos while waiting in line for two hours to get in.

Finally ready to go in. Picture of Payton, Savannah, Austin and Davis

Paytn & Austin turning the color wheels during the factory explanation of how legos are made.

Group picture in front of a lego cement truck.

Payton and Savannah with a lego Dirk Nowitzki.

Payton building his lego racecar
Payton on Merlin's Apprentice Ride

Swimming Lessons...Payton and Davis

2011-07-22T15:53:00.000-07:00

A fun day at the spray park with friends

2011-07-20T15:46:00.000-07:00

Yellowstone National Park

2011-07-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

We had a fantastic week at Yellowstone National Park with Chad's Family.

Fishing

2011-07-06T11:46:00.000-07:00

A fun evening fishing with the boys

Bandito Rides Again at Pickleville Playhouse

2011-07-05T23:13:00.000-07:00

Bear Lake

2011-07-05T11:36:00.000-07:00

Having fun in the sun at the lake.

4th of July at Bear Lake

2011-07-04T22:58:00.000-07:00

Fire Works with Diamond Rio at Freedom Fire Event in Logan

2011-07-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

A fun cookout and fireworks with Aunt Lannis and Uncle Carl

2011-06-30T10:14:00.000-07:00

Lagoon Day

2011-06-29T09:51:00.000-07:00

An exciting evening of fireworks

2011-06-28T21:37:00.000-07:00

The start of our sumer trip to Utah

2011-06-27T21:00:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Utah and the first thing the kids wanted to do was visit Narnia. Payton and Savannah were so excited to see their Grandparents and cousins. Payton wanted to try out all of the swings and was much braver this summer. Savannah had no problem climbing up into the clubhouse and jumping off with the rope. We had a great evening roasting hot dogs and marshmallows and visiting with each other.

Payton's Spring Kindergarten Program

2011-06-02T20:14:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I was a bit teary at Payton’s Spring Program and Graduation. It just felt like such a huge milestone to see my little guy graduate from Kindergarten. Every milestone in Payton’s life makes me appreciate having him even more. What a special day.

2011-05-22T18:27:00.001-07:00

One of Payton's favorite things to do is to help his dad make "smoodies".

Easter Day

2011-04-23T17:52:00.000-07:00

We told the kids the Easter Bunny would come while they were at Church since Mom had to work and wanted to see them with their baskets.

2011-04-23T17:36:00.000-07:00

We decorated Easter Eggs with Payton’s friend and our neighbor Conrad and his mom Carly.

A Wish With Wings Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-16T17:16:00.000-07:00

Payton’s A Wish With Wings Easter Event. The kid’s enjoyed lunch from Chick-Fil-A, a fun Easter Egg Hunt, a Bounce House and all the kids got the chance to pick out an Easter Basket

1 year mark

2011-04-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that it has been a year to the date April the 12th, that Payton went in for surgery to find out what the growth on his liver was. I look back and recall what an extremely stressful time this was for my family. We were so scared and worried if we would be facing a relapse. Every day I have this experience as a constant reminder to remember to stop worrying about the things that we have no control over and the things that we cannot change. I can honestly say that through all of my challenges with Payton that I have come through with an entirely different perspective on life. I have learned not to threat about the small things that we cannot change and to remember the bigger picture. Still to this day we are dealing with the repercussions of the chemo and radiation that Payton received. Every trip to the dentist I am reminded of the effects that the chemo has had on Payton and will still continue to have on his teeth. At school, I am reminded of how spending 12 months of isolation in the hospital has put him behind. It feels like this is constantly staring us in the face. But the best part of all, every six months when we have our scans, I am reminded that I still have my son. And it doesn’t matter what we have been through or what we will continue to go through, the bigger picture is that I have him with me by my side. I am truly grateful for a loving Heavenly Father that has carried me through the past 4 years. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for him. I am grateful for the test of faith that I have learned and still continue to learn. Everyday seems like an adventure with Payton, but it is so worth it, no matter what we have to go through. Today is another huge milestone in our life. I am extremely grateful to have my little guy by my side.

Payton's 6th Birthday

2011-04-11T21:16:00.000-07:00

We’ve had a couple of exciting weeks with family coming to visit. Chad’s parents flew in from Idaho Falls for a few days and then my parents flew in from Utah a few days later. It was July that we saw our families. It was great catching up and spending time. We also got to see my sister’s kids for a day while my parents were here and it happened to be on Payton’s Birthday. We all had such a great time and it was hard saying good bye knowing that we only get to see them all twice a year.

Payton made several comments about having 3 Birthday parties this year. We had a Birthday Party with some of his friends at The Jump Zone and then he got to celebrate his Birthday with each of his Grandparents. He asked if he could have 4 parties next year, silly boy. Here are a few pictures of Payton’s parties.

Payton's 6th Birthday

2011-04-11T20:57:00.000-07:00

Celebrating Payton's Birthday with cupcakes at school

2011-04-11T20:47:00.001-07:00

Payton's 6th Birthday Party at The Jump Zone

2011-03-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

Payton's 3 Year Scans

2011-03-11T19:55:00.000-08:00

Payton's 3 Year Scans were today. We feel so grateful to have fabulous news, all scans were clean. This is a huge Milestone for our family. We also found out that Payton's VRE results came back negative so that means that he is no longer in isolation while were at Cooks.

2011-03-03T16:31:00.000-08:00

Payton and his friend Conrad dressed up like bees for dress up like your favorite bug day for Kindergarten. Conrad’s mom Carly made these cute costumes. Don’t they look adorable!

Math and Science Night at Bluebonnet

2011-02-19T18:05:00.000-08:00

Payton and Geoffrey

Payton and Riley

Payton and Avery

Daniel, Payton and Avery

Payton's Class Valentine's Day Party

2011-02-14T17:09:00.000-08:00

I am Payton’s room mom, so I was in charge of planning the Valentine’s Day Party. The kid’s made hugs and kisses jars for their parents, we had Valentine’s treats and the kids exchanged Valentine’s with each other. It was a lot of fun.

A rough day at school

2011-01-19T18:19:00.000-08:00

I received a phone call from the school nurse today. She informed me that Savannah had split open her chin and most likely was going to need stitches. I got to the school as quick as I could and found her in tears. Savannah said that she was walking out to recess when a bunch of boys ran past her, cut in front of her and caused her to trip. Unfortunately, it happened so fast, that she didn’t have a chance to brace herself, which caused her to fall face forward onto the pavement, cut open her chin and bruise her knee. I took Savannah into the Urgent Care Center this afternoon. The cut on her chin was deep enough to stitch, but the doctors worried that stitching it up would cause it to scar even worse. They decided to glue it shut. Savannah was also complaining that her knee was hurting. They did an x-ray and nothing was broken, but her knee is pretty bruised. Savannah is feeling really sore tonight. I am trying not to be mad, but do feel a little angry that kids can be so careless. It’s too bad that she will most likely have a scar to remember this day.

Savannah's Birthday

2011-01-17T20:44:00.001-08:00

I found a few more pictures from Savannah Birthday. Payton wanted to help Savannah open her presents and he wanted her to be sure to know that they were all from him as well. He wanted a hug after every gift she opened.

Savannah's 10th Birthday!

2011-01-16T18:29:00.000-08:00

Savannah was so excited for her Birthday this year. She informed me that I needed to take the day off work since it fell on a Saturday. I was so excited for a Saturday to sleep in but she had me awake by 7:00 a.m. Savannah had decided that she wanted to go to Build-a-Bear with her brother. She wanted to unwrap her presents and be the first one to Build-a-Bear. Savannah cracks me up; she still has such a love for stuffed animals. Whenever we see any sort of stuffed animal, I hear, “Oh, this is so cute, can I buy this?” Savannah unwrapped her presents and was excited to get speakers for her Ipod, a chair for her room, a scooter and some clothes. Savannah really is not hard to buy for these days. She had us all out the door by 9:15. We stopped off at McDonald’s for breakfast and were at the mall right at 10:00. Payton and Savannah were thrilled to pick out a bear and an outfit of their choice. It felt like Christmas morning to them. I think this is the first time we have been to Build-a-Bear and done this. Payton was so excited to put a heart in his bear and kept asking if his bear was real. Savannah picked out a dog with a black and pink polka dot dress and Payton picked out a bear with a Star Wars jedi outfit. They washed their bears, named them, clothed with and put them in their house to take them home. We spent some time walking around the mall since Savannah had some Birthday money; she had a great time picking out a couple shirts. My kids love it when they have money. We got some lunch and returned home. Our plans were to just have a quiet evening ordering in pizza and having cake and ice cream. Savannah had one of her friends arrive at the door to wish her Happy Birthday and she wanted to stay for Pizza. Payton also had a friend that showed up at the door and wanted to stay. Savannah and her friend had decided to put on a show for us and they had set up chairs and had dimmed the lights and wanted us to come and watch. They were cracking Chad and I up, they were singing and dancing around. Next thing you know, we have Payton and his friend Conrad coming in. They wanted to join in the fun. All four of them were dancing, singing, and pretending to play guitar. It turned out to be the best night. I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time. I love how kids can make you get lost in the moment and how carefree they are. It was a great evening and Savannah said this was the best Birthday she has had.

I can hardly believe that Savannah is 10. I distinctly remember the day that she was born. She was born in Logan, Utah on a snowy day. My water broke in the middle of the night and she came, just hours later. She was such a joy in our lives and still is. Savannah is a peacemaker and doesn’t want anyone to fight or argue around her. Savannah is really good to entertain herself. She is always trying to make different craft projects, from making pillows and blankets for her stuffed animals, to collecting different household items to make science projects. Savannah has become a great reader over the past year. Savannah is very smart and picks things up really fast. Every week I help her with her vocabulary words and we only have to go over them a couple times and she tells me, “I got it mom.” She has a great memory. Savannah is beautiful from the inside out. She is always worried about everyone’s feelings and wouldn’t ever say anything mean to anyone. Savannah loves to spend time with me going shopping and to lunch. She loves to have quality one on one time. Where have the years gone? It makes me a little sad to think that she is growing up so fast. Savannah has a lot of potential and I feel that she is going to do some great things when she grows up. I dearly love her and I am so proud of her for being such a great big sister to Payton throughout his cancer treatment ordeal. She is brave and has a lot of faith. I don’t know what I would do without her. I am so lucky to have two wonderful kids.

Savannah's 10th Birthday Party

2011-01-14T06:56:00.000-08:00

Savannah decided for her Birthday Party that she wanted to invite a few close friends and go to her favorite restaurant Joe’s Pasta-N-Pizza. Savannah was so excited to spend an evening hanging out with her friends. They all arrived and I was really impressed with how polite and nice the kids were. At the last minute, Chad had to attend a mandatory meeting so Leslie volunteered to help out. The kids had a great time at dinner and we returned to our home for cookie cake and ice cream. I can hardly believe my oldest is turning 10 years old on Saturday. She is such a joy and is so much fun to be around. Savannah wants to celebrate Saturday by going to Build a Bear with her brother.

2011-01-09T18:15:00.000-08:00

Every year I have the kids pick out a gift for their Dad for Christmas. I had been asking Payton for weeks what he wanted to get his Dad. Each time I would ask him I would get the same response, “Dad really wants a star wars light saber.” I ignored Payton and continued to ask him to think of something else. A couple days before Christmas I took Payton into Target and told him it was time to get Dad’s present. I went to the Clothing Department and started looking around at some shirts that Payton could get him. Next thing I notice, Payton is on the floor crying and telling me, “That is not what Dad wants for Christmas, he really wants a blue light saber, so that he can play Star Wars with me.” I realized at that moment that there is nothing that I could buy that would make Payton more excited to give his Dad, then a blue light saber. I told Payton to get up off the ground, that we would go look to see if they had a light saber. He immediately jumped up with a big grin on his face and said “Dad, is going to be so, so excited.” We walked back to the toy department and Payton found the perfect blue light saber for his Dad. Payton walked around the store while I finished with my shopping, swinging the light saber around and making funny noises (the noises that a light saber would make.) He helped me purchase it and wrapped it himself. Christmas morning came and I think that Chad’s face was just as lit up as Payton’s was. Chad knew how excited Payton was to give him this special gift.

Payton also wanted a light saber for Christmas from Santa. When we would ask him what he wanted, he would tell us, all I want is a red light saber. He was so excited that Santa brought him a red light saber for Christmas as well, so that he could play with his Dad. This will always be a Christmas that I will remember.

Another great week...

2011-01-09T08:34:00.000-08:00

The kids did well going back to school this week. It was another beautiful week with temperatures in the upper 60’s. We spent a couple days at the park after school and I finally taught Payton how to ride his bike (with training wheels of course.) For some reason he has had a really hard time with balancing pedaling and steering. All it really took was for him to see his friend Conrad across the street riding his bike and he was determined to finally do it. Payton rode his bike to the park and it felt wonderful to get out and get some exercise.

Payton’s teacher Mrs. Beasley told him that he could bring one of toys from Christmas for show and tell on Friday. Payton had decided that he was going to take a couple of his Star Wars Figures and he could hardly wait for Friday to show the kids. My kids are at such great ages and are so much fun.

Savannah really loves her teacher this year as well. She has a phenomenal teacher, Mrs. Neal, which has really taught her to have a desire and love for reading. I have been really impressed with my kids’ teachers this year. Savannah is looking forward to her Birthday this week and will turn 10 this coming Saturday.

As for me, I spent the week packaging up the Christmas stuff to put back in the attic. Where does the time go? I can hardly believe that Christmas is over. I have been working on getting the house back in order and also lined up Payton’s 6 month Radiology and Clinic Appointments. He will have his scans on Thursday, March 10th and his Oncology Apt with Dr. Bowman will be Friday, March 11th. It has been a good productive week. We have enjoyed having Chad home during the evenings a little more since TCC is still out for Winter Break. It will be hard to get back into that routine again.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2011-01-02T12:18:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas and New Years. I have had so much fun spending time with the kids over the winter break. The first couple days of our break the weather was absolutely beautiful in the upper 70’s and low 80’s. We spent a couple days at the park, went to putt putt golf and let the kids ride go karts. We hit a couple movies, took Payton to the lego store in Dallas, had lunch together, but the best part, was that we got to spend some quality time together. We have had such a good time. It is going to be really hard to face the real world again tomorrow and get back into a routine. The kids are not thrilled about going back to school tomorrow.

This cold weather is returning. I was actually getting used to the warmer temps, even if it only lasted for a couple of days.

The kids are staying healthy except for Payton still has had his same persistent cough that he started in with several weeks ago. I decided to take him into his Pediatrician over the Winter Break and she said that he might have a mild case of asthma. Savannah has a mild case of asthma as well. Payton’s Pediatrician prescribed him some Singulair with an inhaler. We will see if the cough gets any better and if not, she will send us to get some x-rays done on his sinuses. There is never a dull moment with Payton.

We are looking into 2011 with much HOPE for a continued HEALTHY year.

Payton's Kindergarten Class Mrs. Beasley

2010-12-19T17:40:00.000-08:00

I am Payton’s room mom at school and although it is a bit time consuming, it is very rewarding. I have so enjoyed getting to know each of the cute kids in his class and volunteering my time to help. Here is a picture of the kids at his Winter Party. It turned out to be a hit and they all had a great time. We did 4 Rotation tables; 2craft tables- Making Necklaces and Ornaments, a Cookie decorating table and a snack table. What a bunch of cute kids.

A few pictures of the kids with Santa.

2010-12-19T17:35:00.000-08:00

Savannah with her friend Mckenzie

You think you will always remember the little things...

2010-12-19T17:25:00.000-08:00

I wanted to take a moment and jot down a few cute things that Payton has been saying lately. The other night Chad was laying down with Payton in his bed and Payton told him “Dad, You have to find someone else to marry.” Chad thought for a minute, maybe mom had gotten mad at Payton today and so Chad replied, “Why is that Payton?” Payton responded “because I am going to marry Mom and so you have to find someone else to marry now.”

Several months ago, Payton came home from school, I noticed that he hadn’t received his stamp for the day and so I asked him what had happened. Payton’s response was “Mrs. Beasley needed a volunteer to move their clip to red to make sure that the clips were working right, so I told her that I would volunteer to move my clip.”

Payton is always doing sweet little gestures. I was taking Savannah to a Birthday Party and we were running a few minutes late, so I ran out the door without my coat. I asked Payton if he wanted to walk with me to the door and he jumped out of the car. While we were walking, I noticed that he had taken off his coat. I turned to Payton and said “why did you take off your coat?” Payton was handing me over his coat and said “Mom, You forgot your coat and I didn’t want you to be cold, put it on, he replies.”

Payton is a big Star Wars fan these days. He is always chasing us around with his light sabers and sticking his hand out pretending to use Jedi Powers.

2010-12-11T20:07:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Chad called me on the phone and announced that he had run over our pre-lit Christmas tree in the garage. We had taken the tree out of the attic and were waiting for the weekend to bring it in the house to decorate. The night before, Savannah decided to get out a table and several items to set up a hot chocolate stand. Chad was trying to dodge the table, forgetting that we had pulled the Christmas tree out of the attic. When I received the call, my first reaction was to get mad. We don’t have money to go and buy a new tree just weeks before Christmas. And then it dawned on me what was my biggest concern last year. It was almost a year to the date when we took Payton into his Oncologist for a routine MRI and CT Scan and learned that he had a spot on his liver that was growing. The tree was of minimal concerns. I could get mad or say something that I would regret, but it wouldn’t bring my tree back. It would only cause tension between us. I then recalled the feeling I felt when Payton’s Doctor told me that he would have to undergo another major surgery, that there was a chance that his cancer had reoccurred and I knew in my heart that if this had returned that there was a good chance we would lose him. The tree then meant nothing in comparison to our little boy. I have recalled several times over the past year wanting to get upset about something so little and reminded myself what a real concern is.

Today marks that one year mark. I cannot express my gratitude enough for my family; for my husband, for my great kids and for my sweet little Payton. I am grateful for the clarity that this has given me. I try not to take things for granted anymore and try to remember the things that matter most. Today I am extremely thankful for friends and family that put their arms around me and carried me through that time. I want to take this opportunity to wish my friends and family and very Merry Christmas. I love you all!

2010-12-06T07:03:00.000-08:00

I wanted to get some fun fall pictures of my kids while the weather is still nice, so we headed to the park and it turned out to be a beautiful day.

Payton's School Thanksgiving Lunch

2010-11-17T22:32:00.000-08:00

I was thrilled to attend Payton’s school Thanksgiving luncheon. The kids were so cute and it was so fun watching them get their lunch tray and eat their lunch. It was a great day and I feel so blessed to have my little guy.

Payton's School Turkey Trot

2010-11-12T23:08:00.000-08:00

Halloween Fun!

2010-11-01T16:26:00.000-07:00

I love that it's finally starting to feel like fall. The Texas summers here are so hot and long that by the time fall hits we are ready for some cooler weather. We had a great weekend. The kids dressed up as their favorite book character on Friday for school. Savannah was a witch and Payton a Pirate. When Halloween falls on a Sunday, you feel like you celebrate Halloween the whole weekend. The kids enjoyed going to our ward trunk-or-treat on Saturday. Savannah used her witch costume and Payton decided to be Darth Vader from Star Wars. Payton is really big into Star Wars these days. The kids had a great weekend and the weather turned out to be beautiful in the low 80’s.

The kids are doing really well in school. I have had to work extra hard with Payton to get him caught up to where he needs to be. I know that everything he has been through has set him back a bit. Payton has such a desire to learn and works so hard. I don’t remember working this hard with Savannah. I think that things come a little easier for her.

I feel extremely blessed that our family is in good health and that we are all doing well. We have had another rough year. It has been a reminder to slow down and enjoy life and every little precious moment.

Our trip to the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

We went to one of my favorite places, The Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch. This place to me is what fall is all about. It was a beautiful evening and my kids loved walking around looking at all the pumpkins. Tonight was opening night; can you tell I am feeling really anxious for fall?

2010-09-05T20:31:00.000-07:00

Payton's Echo/EKG

Payton with Nurse Victoria

Payton was so brave getting his blood drawn

It has been an extremely long week of testing and waiting for Payton’s results. Payton had his Echo/ EKG and Scans on Monday. I keep hoping that this will get easier and the anxiety will go away, but it just doesn’t. The day went so much smoother not having to sedate Payton. The Sonogram and Chest X-ray felt like nothing compared to the lengthy MRI and CT scan that we usually have to do. I have to admit that I have stressed a bit about Payton’s Echo/EKG this week. This is the testing that is done to check his heart, to make sure that the chemo has not caused any damage. This testing usually has taken 15 to 20 minutes in the past and been quick and easy. The tech took over an hour and I thought that I was going to have a full blown anxiety attack while watching her. I kept wondering why she was taking so long and what if something was wrong. It really stressed me right out. I think that we have done this all so much routinely, that we know what to expect and if the testing takes longer then we expect we start wondering if something is not normal. It was a long week waiting to hear and I was just as worried about the results of the Echo/EKG as I was the scans.

FINALLY, we got our results and everything looks great. I found out that the tech was given instructions to also look for tumors around his heart and throat area and that is why it took as long as it did. Too bad I didn’t know that prior and I could have saved myself some serious worrying. It was such a great appointment on Friday in the H/O clinic. We saw many people that we love and appreciate for taking care of Payton during his chemo days. We got to see a friend Victoria that used to be one of our very favorite nurses on the 3rd H/O floor of the hospital. She has since moved to the clinic. I got all teary as it brought back tons of memories of our hospital stays. Victoria was always so sweet to Payton and used to sit on the floor with him and play. She was so excited to see Payton and how much he has changed in 2 ½ years. We also saw Dr. Heym, one of our favorite Oncology Doctors. All of these people have played such an important part of our lives. Last but not least we got to see Dr. Bowman. It is always so good to see him and hear his outlook on things. Dr. Bowman is so pleased to see another clean scan. He is staying optimistic that Payton will keep doing well. Dr. Bowman also said that we can finally start spreading our scans apart every 6 months now. Great news! Every three months comes way too often.

On Friday we met with Ms. Lisa whom works with the Life after Cancer patients at Cook’s. She has taken all of Payton’s records including his chemo dosages, hospital stays, radiation dosages, medicines, transfusions, etc. etc. and put them all in a book. She talked about the importance of Payton eating good foods and getting enough exercise to keep his heart strong. What a great idea to have it all together so that Payton will always have that information if and when he needs it. She talked about how Payton will always need to be seen and tested once a year for the rest of his life. She discussed all of the side effects that could possibly occur from Payton’s treatment. We have heard this all before, but it was a bit hard to hear it all again. I think sometimes you place it in a box in the back of your head so that you don’t have to think about it. We know of the risks, side effects and statistics regarding the high doses of chemo and radiation that Payton received. We know all this and yet I know that these statistics are nothing, because Payton’s life is in Heavenly Father’s hands. It is such a blessing and comfort to have this knowledge. There are times that it has taken a huge leap of faith and I have learned how little control we have over life and situations that occur. I have always been one that has wanted control over everything in my life and have realized the last few years, how little control we really have. Payton at the age of 5 has shown me how to have faith and how to live life to the fullest. I am extremely grateful for fabulous news. I take none of these clean scans for granted and thank Heavenly Father for every clean scan I see. I am grateful that I have two wonderful kids in my life; being a mom is the greatest gift in the world.

Payton's 2 1/2 year after treatment scans

2010-08-29T19:52:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Payton’s 2 ½ year after treatment scans. Where does the time go? We are so grateful that Payton has recovered so well from his surgery 4 months ago in April. Payton learned a great deal of faith and prayer through this past surgery. I remember him waking up in the middle of the night crying because he was in a lot of pain and he would say, “mom, hold my hand and pray that I will feel better.” He then, would quickly fall asleep and be fine. Payton on several different occasions will suggest that we have prayer. This past week Savannah came home with a stomach bug and Payton was really concerned about her. I was busy in the kitchen getting Savannah a drink. When I returned to the bedroom I found Payton saying a prayer next to Savannah. He said, “Help my sister to feel better because she doesn’t want to be sick anymore.” I immediately had tears rolling down my face. When Payton finished his prayer, I asked him what he was doing. He replied, “Mom, we have to ask Heavenly Father to help us when we are sick.” I was really taken back that my five year old was telling me this. Payton is such a true blessing in our family and I fully believe that he is here with us for a purpose. What amazing faith he has at the age of 5.

Back to Payton’s scan’s tomorrow. Payton will have an ultrasound, chest X-ray and Echo/EKG tomorrow. We are so excited that we no longer have the CT scans and MRIs. I am extremely happy that he doesn’t have to be sedated anymore as well as be exposed to as much radiation. Our oncology appointment with Dr. Bowman is not until Friday, so it will be a long week waiting for results. We are staying very optimistic for cleans scans and a good week.

First Day Back To School

2010-08-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

I am feeling really emotional as Payton is getting ready to start Kindergarten. I recall feeling so scared and unsure if I would see this day come. What a crazy few years our life has been. I still look back and cannot believe that Payton went through cancer, radiation, surgeries, chemo, and a possible scare relapse. At times it feels like such a blur. We are all doing well at moving on and putting it behind us. At times like this when I recall wondering if I would see him attend Kindergarten it brings it all back again. I am so truly grateful that I have Payton with us today. There has not been a single day that has passed that I haven’t poured my heart out and thanked Heavenly Father that I have my little one with me. Payton to me is a constant reminder to be thankful for all the little things in life. I am thankful that I am his mom. I am thankful for all the time that I get to spend with him and cannot seem to every get enough of him. Payton asks me a question every day which is “Mom, why do you like me so much.” He says, “You kiss me a lot every day and you are always so nice to me.” It’s like I have a pair of sunglasses on and I see things through different eyes. I don’t think that will every change. Payton is so precious. Chad and I look and Payton and then look at each other all the time and I always know that we are thinking the same thing. How truly lucky we are to have our little guy. We just eat up every moment that we have with him.

So back to today, I am sad but also feeling so amazingly grateful to see my little guy attend his first day of Kindergarten. My family wouldn’t be the same if we didn’t have Payton as part of our lives. Even though I am sad that this means I will get to spend less time with him, what a great day it is.

Bear Lake

2010-08-14T16:13:00.000-07:00

We arrived at our cabin in Bear Lake and Grandpa and Grandma had everything set up and ready to begin our Sports Spectacular Event. The kids were really excited to spend time with each other. Grandpa and Grandma had sports shirts, lanyards, hats and water bottles for each of the kids. The rules and schedules were explained.

The kids were given a sports pass to put on their lanyard. The kids could earn 1 sticker by participating in an event and 2 stickers by winning a competition. The stickers were placed on the back on their lanyards. Once the kids earned so many stickers they could go to the dugout. The dugout had prizes for the kids to choose from. Each prize was on a point system of 1, 2 or 3 stickers.

The kids also received a rubber duck to put on their lanyard. The kids could earn additional ducks for good sportsmanship and for helping do chores without being asked. During different times of the day Grandpa and Grandma would do something called “feed the ducks.” The kids would get a certain amount of treats for how many ducks they had earned. Every duck looked different and Grandpa had an exact match of every duck. Everyday Grandpa would place a different duck on his lanyard. If at any time any of the kids had a duck that matched Grandpa’s duck and they were to notice, they would receive a dollar bill.

Grandpa and Grandma also had a Sports Gnome. Every day Grandpa and Grandma would hide the Gnome and give the kids clues to find it. The kid that would find the Gnome would get to pick out a $5 Gift Card.

The kids competed in a hula hoop and double shot basketball competition today. It is great having everyone together.

Summer 2010 Sports Spectacular

2010-08-07T09:39:00.000-07:00

The kids were super anxious for their summer trip to begin. The summer theme this year was Sports Spectacular. We arrived in Utah and Grandpa and Grandma kicked off our sports spectacular with a cookout, cotton candy and games. My sister Jennifer drove in from Arizona with her three kids: Noah, Riley and Ella and her new husband Kevin with his children: Kari, Kirsten, Kaitlin, and Trevor.

The kids were all really excited to see each other. Payton and Ella enjoyed exploring Grandpa's garden. They picked raspberries and were so cute conversing back and forth. It reminded me of how much I enjoy the simple pleasures in life.

A fun afternoon with the Arizona cousins

2010-07-10T11:36:00.000-07:00

We were all so excited to see my sister’s kids come to Texas to visit. It’s hard to believe that it has been a year since they moved from Texas. I cannot believe how much they have all changed in a year. Where does the time go? It amazes me how you can get kids in a room together and they can pick up and you would never know that they were ever apart. They all immediately started playing and chasing each other around. It felt like old times and it was great. I am so happy to see that they are all so happy and doing so well.

Summer Fun at the spray park

2010-07-10T11:19:00.000-07:00

Our ward has a play group and this week we met up and went to the spray park. The kids had a great time playing together. I think that every kid complained at least once that someone was spraying them. We had to remind them that they were at a spray park and that is what happens. We had lots of fun spending time with friends.

2010-07-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

On behalf of Zhu Zhu Pets and Mom Select we were given the opportunity to have a Kung Zhu Party for our son Payton and in return give our opinion on their new product. I had two very excited children when a huge box arrived at our door. I remember the excitement about Zhu Zhu pets around Christmas and how hard they were to find during the holidays. It wasn’t until after the holidays that I could find them for my children. Since my kids don’t have real pets they love these realistic, interactive, plush hamsters that talk and move around.

Payton was excited that the Kung Zhu Pets were geared more towards boys and are along the same line of the Zhu Zhu pets, just more appealing to boys.

We received a box of everything needed to host this party with the new Kung Zhu Pets. The box was fully equipped with hamsters, playset, and accessories. It took Chad just over an hour to set up the entire arena. The kids have been anxiously waiting to have their party and wanted to wait for their cousins to come from Arizona. Savannah has been so excited that she even made blankets for everyone’s pets. The cousins finally arrived and it was time to have our party. The party was a hit and each child was very excited to pick out their own Kung Zhu Pet and battle armor or tank. The children’s ages ranged from 3 to 12 years old; a good mix of ages so I could get varied opinions. From youngest to oldest, they seemed to have a great time and were very interested and excited.

Kung Zhu hamsters are split into two battling groups called Special Forces and Ninja Warriors. The hamsters look and sound like regular Zhu Zhu Pets but are transformed into ninjas and warriors once they are sent into their main training grounds with the smart chip technology.

They are powered by placing the Kung Zhu hamster underneath the smart chip and letting it go. As the tanks move forward, they do separate things. One tank has grabbing pincers, while another has missles that fire. There are four tanks in all. Battle Armor is also set on each hamster, giving them a special boost when battling.

Overall I would give these pets a great review. My kids have enjoyed playing with them. I love that you can play with just the pets alone or add in any number of accessories to mix it up. The kids had a lot of fun with just playing with the Kung Zhu pet and a set of armor, and the vehicles are really fun, too. Payton’s favorite addition piece would be the battle arena. He likes to put his pet in there and battle Savannah’s pet. They push each other around, do tricky spins, and try to “win” by knocking the other Zhu Zhu over.

A huge thanks to Mom Select and Zhu Zhu Pets for the box of Kung Zhu Pets, armor and accessories; the party was a huge hit and all the children love them. Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to participate in your program.

It's finally summer!

2010-06-19T09:10:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that summer has begun. We have had a rough start of summer: Payton was sick the first week and now Savannah the following. I am feeling anxious to get out and do something besides clean the house, take temperatures and give medicine. The kids are glad to be out of school and I am always glad to have some days to sleep in. We are enjoying our new home. We moved the first part of June into a more efficient and larger home. This house feels so much cooler and is so much more efficient than our last. We are renting again for the next 2 years while Chad completes his Post Doc position at UTA.
I cannot believe how fast the time is going by. Payton had surgery two months ago and is doing great. He has completely stopped complaining of any pain from his surgery. I still look back and cannot believe that we had to go through a second surgery. Payton’s incision is healing and I still can’t bear to look at it very close. It makes me sick. We met with Dr. Miller this past week which was Payton’s surgeon. He said that Payton’s incision looks great and he said that we are done with appointments with him. He said that hopefully we will only see him in passing around the hospital, but he will be there if we need anything. Dr. Miller is such a great guy and I have so much respect for him. I am so grateful that he was Payton’s surgeon. I have full confidence in him. Payton has been thrilled to be able to resume back to his normal activities. He had lost a bit of weight after his surgery, regained it, and then lost more weight during the week he was sick. He only weighed 38 lbs at his appointment this past week. It won’t take him long to regain his weight. What a roller coaster this has all been. I feel so full of gratitude that I have 2 wonderful healthy children. I feel so blessed to be their mom and to have the privilege of raising them. Being a mom is so rewarding and so much fun.

Payton's last week of school

2010-06-13T07:20:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Payton’s Pre-K graduation and his last day of school. I was so excited to be able to attend his Graduation. I sobbed the whole graduation as I thought about all that he has been through over the past few years. I was so grateful to see him there. Payton enjoyed his year end party. I know that he is going to miss his teacher Mrs. Robertson and her Aid Ms. Riley. They have been so great to him this school year.

2010-05-12T07:07:00.000-07:00

We went to the H/O Clinic at Cook’s on Friday and met with Dr. Bowman for Payton’s post surgery appointment. Dr. Bowman said that we can finally start doing Sonograms and Chest X-Ray’s instead of MRI’s and CT Scans. What a great accomplishment to finally be at this point. It has been a long 3 years. He said that he would like to continue doing this every 3 months for 1 more year and then every 6 months after. Dr. Bowman would like to run some blood work on Payton’s next appointment to see if we can find out how much iron he has in his liver. The pathology report from his surgery showed some scar tissue as well as iron which can be caused from the chemo and blood transfusions. Payton will be due for his Annual Echo/Ekg to check his heart on this next three month appointment as well, which will be in August. Dr. Bowman also talked to Chad and I about putting Payton on a follow up after cancer treatment care program. Our next appointment we will be meeting with a specialist to discuss how to put this together. This will allow us to be able to keep all of Payton’s chemo records with his dosages that he received together in a book. We will also discuss and go over everything that we need to be doing to make sure that we are on top of things. It sounds like a great program and will be beneficial to have all Payton’s medical information together.
It has been a good week. Payton returned to school and has done well. He was so excited to see Mrs. Robertson and all of his little friends. Payton’s little school friends made me smile as I walked him in and saw how excited they all were to see him. One little kid said “Payton, where have you been?” Another little boy replied “I had surgery too, on my tonsils.” He asked Payton “Did you have surgery on your tonsils too.” Payton didn’t know what to say so he just nodded his head yes. I walked out feeling such joy that he was able to return and such a love for kids, they are great and make me smile. Payton has been tired this week and has been taking naps almost on a daily basis. This has been quite a process recovering from this surgery. I am truly grateful for Payton. Every time I look at him I am reminded of how blessed I am to have him.

The kids are super anxious to get out of school for the summer. I am ready for some days to start sleeping in.

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

2010-05-05T07:18:00.001-07:00

Payton’s follow-up appointment with Dr. Miller was yesterday. I wasn’t sure how it would go taking him back to the hospital since the last time we took him he had no idea what was ahead of him. On the way to the hospital, Payton constantly needed reassurance and asked “No needles, right Mom? No blood, right Mom? Bless his heart I am sure that kid doesn’t know what to expect anymore. I decided to stop off and get him a Slurpee on the way to help get his mind off of things. While waiting in the waiting room to see Dr. Miller, my stomach was turning while I watched so many kids with so many different problems. There were kids in wheel chairs, kids with breathing and feeding tubes and it was all just enough to make me sick. You would think that I would have developed a strong stomach after what we have been through with Payton, but it is never easy to watch a child deal with challenges. Dr. Miller pulled off Payton’s bandage and that as well made me feel sick to see his incision. Dr. Miller said that his incision is looking better. He also said that if Payton would have fallen and bumped that growth on his liver that we would have been in the ER, since it would have been very painful. Payton was so cute in telling Dr. Miller that “I listened, I didn’t ride my bike, I didn’t ride my scooter and I didn’t jump on the trampoline.” Dr. Miller said that Payton still needs to wait until the end of May to participate in any physical activity. Payton asks every day when he can go back to the park and ride his bike. Dr. Miller also said that it will take 3 to 4months for the incision and scar to lower and not look so raised. He said to be really careful not to get that area sunburned. We have another appointment to go back in 6 weeks to check his incision again. I have such a great love for Dr. Miller and feel so grateful that he was Payton’s surgeon. Payton is such a joy and a blessing to have around. I have thoroughly loved taking care of and spending time with him over the past three weeks.

As far as our home life situation goes. Chad has been applying for jobs since he graduated from Grad School in December. Chad just got an offer to do a 2 Year Post Doc at The University of Texas at Arlington. We are going to take it and hope that by the time he finishes that the economy will have turned around and there will be more jobs available. We are grateful that everything is coming together.

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

2010-04-29T08:41:00.000-07:00

Life is good and I have so much to be grateful for. Payton is starting to recover and is doing much better. He is finally off of Lortab and has been taking Ibuprofen as needed. I've been wondering why Payton has not been asking many questions regarding his surgery since we didn’t give him prior warning. Well it hit me this past week when he broke down and sobbed for 30 minutes asking many questions of why he had to go through this. He didn’t ask anything while being under his strong pain medicine and now that he is off of it he has started asking questions. I was trying to mow the lawn while Chad was teaching his night class at TCC and Payton was watching me. Payton bumped into something in the garage and hurt his stomach and just lost it. He was asking all sort of questions like “Why didn’t you or Dad have to have surgery and why can’t you just take this surgery away? I am so tired of hurting and feeling this way.” Bless his heart for everything that he has had to endure. Every day seems to get a little better, but Payton seems to tire quickly and takes naps on a daily basis. I am totally amazed at the great faith that Payton has at the age of 5. So many times has Payton asked me to hold his little hand and say a prayer that his tummy will not hurt anymore. His appetite seems to be coming back now that he is off of his pain meds as well. He still looks pretty skinny but I know he will bounce back in no time at all. We are due back to see Dr. Miller on Tuesday and Payton is anxious to tell him that he has been following his instructions. We are hoping that Payton will feel good enough to return to school next week. Payton has asked several times about the kids in his class and his teacher Mrs. Robertson. I am thinking to let him return on Monday or possibly Wednesday since I would have to pull him out on Tuesday for his appointment anyway.

Payton is still my great little helper. Even though at times he doesn’t feel himself, he still insists on helping me with dinner, watering flowers, folding laundry and helping clean the house. He is by far my best little helper around the house. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t feel grateful that he is with me. He truly brings such joy to me and makes me smile every day. This has made me slow down even more and helped me to enjoy every little moment that life has to offer. I will slow down to his pace and hold his little hand and spend more time talking to him because every day with my little guy is truly a gift. I am so grateful that he is improving each day and cannot wait until the day he can ride his bike and go back to the park, since that is one of his favorite things to do. We are almost there.

Savannah on the other hand is a great little girl as well. She has had her 3rd Grade Texas State Taks Test this week. She has been a little stressed out but is relieved to have it over with. We struggle with her a little in the morning since she is just not a morning person. Savannah has a pretty funny personality and makes me laugh. Savannah has this phobia with flies in the house. She is constantly checking to make sure that doors are shut and if she happens to see a fly, she will run around chasing it until she catches it. Payton and I have spent many of days chuckling at watching her chase flies. Last night I was brushing Payton’s teeth and I happen to see a fly that I could easily catch. Knowing how much Sav hates flies, I decided to catch it. Savannah started jumping up and down and said “Mom, you did it, you killed the fly.” She then held out her hand, shook my hand and said “Congratulations, you have passed your first step of fly catching school.” She really has a funny personality and is a joy to be around.

Friday, April 23rd

2010-04-23T19:22:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe Payton has been home from the hospital a week from today. It has gone by fast and yet it has been a long hard week as well. Payton started showing some signs of improvement yesterday. He is still getting up a few times at night but after taking his medicine will go straight back to bed. He is walking around more although I really think that most of his comfort comes from being in an upright position. He is starting to eat better which we are so grateful for since he was really looking thin. Payton asked me yesterday, “Mom, Can I have a hug?” I replied of course you can buddy; do you need a hug today? And he said “Yes, I do Mom, because I had to go through a really hard surgery.” Out of all the things, Payton hates taking his medicine more than anything. We have started rotating the Lortab with some Ibuprofen and that seems to be working pretty well. Payton is starting to laugh a little and having more of a desire to play with his puzzles and toys. He still keeps asking me “What did Dr. Miller tell me that I could play with?” He wants to make sure that he doesn’t do anything that would cause him any discomfort.

Dr. Miller called on Wednesday and said that the Pathologist report was finalized. He said that it was indeed a benign growth and that it looks as if it was scar tissue with a little bit of iron that was probably left over from his chemo. He asked how Payton was doing and I told him that Chad and I didn’t realize what a rough surgery this would be. We thought that he would bounce back a little quicker like he did with his previous surgery. He said that it doesn’t surprise him since he had to stretch through his rib cage to cut out the piece of his liver. He said to Payton it probably feels like he has some broken ribs. Payton does walk around like he is in some discomfort.

This has been a good week with some peace of mind knowing that once we get Payton through this post-surgery that Payton will be able to return back to being a normal little boy. This is such a reminder to me that every day that we get to live is such a gift. Life is precious and shouldn’t be taken for granted. I am so grateful for Payton in my life. He has helped me to become a better person and I cannot imagine life without him. He is truly an angel to me and I cannot wait to see what kind of person that he becomes and what he will accomplish in his life. Does it take something like this in our life to make us realize what we have? I think so many of us run through life each day and forget who we are, why we are here and what matters very most. This has made me want to be a kinder person and to be more helpful to people in need. We have been so lucky to have some wonderful friends that have forever left a great impression on me. I am a believer that the Lord puts certain people in your life at different times to help you get through whatever challenges you might face. I have a few amazing people in my life that have totally touched me and forever changed my life. I have had people call at the right moment of offering just exactly what we needed. I am so amazed at how these special people stay so close to the spirit. I am going to strive really hard to be one of these people. I know that the people that have helped us will be truly blessed. I love Payton more that I can express and I thank Heavenly Father every day for helping us get through our challenges that sometimes have seemed too difficult to face. We are so blessed.

Monday, April 19th

2010-04-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

Payton had a really rough night last night. He was pretty much up the whole night complaining that his tummy was hurting. I decided to call Dr. Miller’s office today since I feel that his Loratab doesn’t seem to be working as well. Dr. Miller said that we could up his dosage. Payton got down today and spent some time walking around. It was good to see him moving around on his own. Tonight Payton seems to be in pain again. I think that he has worn himself out. I am hoping that he will sleep better tonight since I have been exhausted all day. I sure love my little angel and am so proud of how hard he is trying to recover. I am grateful to great friends that have brought us meals so that I can focus on getting him better this week. I am also thankful for those who have brought by gifts to help cheer him up.

Another day closer to recovery...

2010-04-18T18:37:00.001-07:00

We are grateful to be one day closer to recovery. Payton is still complaining that his stomach is “Ouchy.” I am surprised that he hasn’t asked more questions than he has. He will just make comments like “Savannah, you have to go to school tomorrow, but I don’t because I had surgery.” Payton was able to take a bath for the first time today and we were able to remove his bandage from his Chest tube. It was hard to see Payton in the tub since he looks really frail and skinny. It made me feel horrible to look at his big incision and think about how sore he must feel. When we were taking him out of the bath he was crying since he was in pain and I started sobbing. It is so hard to watch him hurt. Payton looked up at me and said “Mom, Don’t cry anymore, it will start to feel better soon.” I love the faith and strength that Payton shows and has shown throughout his life. After Payton’s bath he looked at me and said “Mom, we haven’t played Candy Land in a long time.” Candy Land is one of Payton’s favorite games. Surprisingly he sat up for a few minutes and played until he got tired. I love how little kids are so resilient. Payton took a few naps and still spent most of his day in bed. Payton is still on Lortab every 4 hrs and we hope that soon we can start winging him off. Savannah has been very patient and helpful with Payton. Payton enjoys having her company and having Savannah entertain him. We cannot wait until we can see our little guy run around again and be a normal 5 year old boy.

Grateful to be home

2010-04-17T20:13:00.001-07:00

Payton has had one of his worst days post surgery. He has been in a lot of pain today and spent most of his day in bed. It breaks my heart when he cries because his tummy hurts. He feels best when he lies flat with no pillows. Payton cannot sit up or walk on his own. It makes him frustrated. Payton was sad to say goodbye to his Grandma today and has asked all day where she went. Payton ate a little better today. Payton is looking really skinny and frail. We are taking baby steps to recovery but hoping to get there soon. It was nice to be able to sleep in our own bed last night and we are so glad to be at home away from the hospital. We are grateful for every day that we have.

Day 5 and heading home

2010-04-16T19:07:00.000-07:00

Today was another great day; Payton was released from the hospital. Payton had a chest x-ray this morning and Dr. Miller said that as long as it came back normal, Payton could go home. Everything looked great and Payton was finally released. He was thrilled to finally be leaving the hospital. Dr. Miller gave instructions for Payton to go back to school on May the 3rd and not to participate in outside recess and any physical activity until May 24th. Payton was so cute, Dr. Miller was telling him that he couldn’t play on the play ground or ride his bike for 5 weeks and Payton said “but can I ride in the wagon and can I do puzzles?” He made me smile. He is slowly turning the corner and every day seems to get just a little better. Payton has taken a few more steps with some help and is sitting up for longer periods of time. He is really nervous to do things in fear that it will hurt. When we got home from the hospital we let his Loratab run about 4 ½ hrs and he started crying that he was in so much pain. This is the first time since his surgery that I have seen tears from him, so I knew he was in pain. Payton really hates the taste of the medicine and is always concerned to when he has to take it next since it tastes so nasty. Up to this point we haven’t really talked to Payton much about his surgery and what happened, but today he had a few comments and questions. He wanted to know who else in our family has had surgery and what medicines that other kids have to take. Payton made the comment that he would like to be a Doctor when he grows up to help little kids.

Payton has been thrilled to be at home even though he has spent his whole day lying down since that is how he is most comfortable. He has enjoyed holding and playing with his toys. Our friend Mrs. Leslie came over and read books to Payton today so I could have a chance to do some laundry and unpack. I felt like I have hit the wall today and started feeling like I was going to pass out. I think that I have been stressed out for so long; not eating well or sleeping well that it is finally catching up with me. Chad and I have gotten very little sleep at the hospital and are really looking forward to a good night sleep in our own bed. We are sad that Grandma is leaving tomorrow and have appreciated so much having her here to help us get through the week. I feel so grateful for such a terrific family, friends and a loving Heavenly Father that have gotten me through the past 5 weeks. There are many times that I had family and friends that would hear me out with all my concerns. I have had great friends that have helped with my kids when I didn’t think that I could face the day. I had Payton’s 5th Birthday to celebrate through this and had great friends that helped plan a party for him since I couldn’t pull myself together to do it. You know that you have true friends when they lift you up when you have fallen and cannot get back up. I have so much to be grateful for and my heart is so full of love for so many people tonight. I know that Heavenly Father will bless these people for getting us through this difficult time. We are so happy to be at home as a family and feel that we can handle anything now. This ordeal has put everything in life into perspective for me.

Day 4 A Birthday to Remember…

2010-04-15T19:14:00.000-07:00

I received one of the greatest gifts that I could have asked for my Birthday today. Payton’s growth came back benign. Dr. Bowman said that he will let us know further what pathology thinks; but that it is not a Wilm’s cancer reoccurrence. What absolute terrific news to say the least. Today I feel like I can breathe and feel like a hundred pounds has been lifted off of my shoulders. I am so grateful to My Heavenly Father for helping me get through the past five weeks and for helping get us through this surgery. I have so much to be grateful for. When Dr. Bowman came with the news I couldn’t resist but to jump up and hug him. I have such a love for Dr. Bowman and know that he has Payton’s best interest at heart. It hurts that Payton had to go through such a major surgery to find this out, but we cannot look back and know that we had to do what we had to do given Payton’s history. I feel so blessed today.

Payton has made small improvements today and I am so proud of him. He started eating just little bites and drinking a bit more. The anastheologist approved to take out his epidural and Dr. Miller said it was ok to take out his cathidar and chest tube. All of these things hurt a lot coming out, but Payton was relieved to not have so many lines hooked to him. Dr. Miller really wanted Payton to try and take a few steps today and he was able to accomplish this. It was really hard for him to stand up and took us helping balance him, but it was a big improvement compared to the last 3 days. Payton has spent a good part of his day alert and awake. They put him on an oral Loratab and it seems to be working well. They are trying to switch him to an oral medicine so that we have adjusted to it before he heads home. Dr. Miller acted like we might be able to go home tomorrow and let Payton recover there. Payton would love that since he spends most of his day asking when he gets to go home. I fear that Payton is going to be deathly afraid of the hospital now that he is old enough to remember a lot of this.

We are grateful my mom has been able to stay with us and help with Savannah so that we could focus on Payton during this time. Payton loved spending time with Grandma today and Grandma was trying to sing to him and he was feeling loopy from his Loratab and thought that it was so funny to change the words to the song. It was good to see him act more like himself. We are anxious to get Payton feeling better soon. Dr. Miller thought that Payton would need to take it easy for around 3 weeks and 4 weeks as far as being outside on playgrounds or on his bike where he could fall or get hurt. I have so much to be grateful for and my heart feels so full of love today. Thank you so much for all your prayers and kind words.

Day 3

2010-04-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

It has been a rough day for Payton; he has thrown up a couple times and had a little bit of a low grade fever. I know that he is not feeling well when he just doesn’t have a desire to eat. He only ate two little bites of mashed potatoes and maybe an ounce or so of Sprite and water. Payton had a chest X-ray again today and everything looked good. Savannah came to the hospital today for the first time and Payton was glad to see her. It was hard for Savannah to see her little brother feeling so lousy.

Our nurse said that if Payton doesn’t start sitting up that he could get pneumonia, so we sat him up and it hurt a lot. We had him sit up in a chair for an hour. He was exhausted after that and just wanted to sleep. We saw Dr. Miller this evening and I talked to him about what a rough surgery this has been on Payton and how he has been in a lot of pain. He said he isn’t surprised since this was such a major surgery with him having to go through his rib cage, with the large incision that he has, and needing a chest tube. The anesthesiologist decided to increase Payton’s epidural meds again since he is still in a lot of pain. Dr. Miller said that he might remove Payton’s chest tube tomorrow and possibly the epidural. By upping the epidural it is making Payton start to hallucinate a bit tonight and he seems even more irritable. We are hoping that Payton turns the corner soon and starts feeling better.

Both Dr. Miller and Dr. Bowman said the pathologist needed one more day so the results will be in tomorrow. It has been a long few days waiting. We are hoping that Payton starts feeling better soon.

Day 2

2010-04-13T18:30:00.000-07:00

The first 24 hours have been rough for Payton. He is really sore and still groggy. Payton’s IV burst and caused his hand to swell up and look purple. Payton’s nurse poked him three times trying to get a good vein and it continued bursting. They then called a specialist over to try and she tried another three times and each time it wouldn’t flush. Finally they had to move Payton to a rolling bed and take him another floor to have an on-call anesthesiologist try to get his IV in. The 7th time was the charm. While Payton’s nurse was trying to get his IV in him, Payton looked over at me and said “Mom, am I in trouble?” I lost it again. It made me feel horrible if he was thinking that he was getting poked because he was in trouble. They lowered Payton’s Epidural dosage to try and get him to move his feet and legs a little more. He had little sips of water and some ice chips and has been given the ok to try to eat a little, but doesn’t seem to have the desire. It breaks my heart watching Payton go from being a normal healthy boy running around, to being tied down to a hospital bed. He is so sweet and so courageous. Dr. Miller came by to check on Payton and said that they don’t have the results from the pathologist yet but will have them tomorrow. It has been the longest five weeks of my life waiting and wondering what will happen to my little guy. It has torn me apart and I have gone through every emotion possible. I look back at the past month and it all feels like a blur. I cannot recall much of the time and feel like I just went through the motions to get through. I love him more than anything and this past five weeks has once again reminded me of what is most important in life. There is nothing more important than your family and your loved ones. Money and material things will come and go but when you get put in a situation like this nothing else matters. I pray for good results.

Day 1 in the hospital...

2010-04-13T07:50:00.001-07:00

What an exhausting day it was yesterday. We arrived at the hospital and Payton immediately started asking questions. We hadn’t said much to Payton about this surgery since we knew that it would scare and worry him. Payton started to ask if they were going to put that thing over his mouth (referring to the gas mask.) He pointed to another part of the hospital and said they only put that thing over your mouth over at that part of the hospital. We checked in and went to the 2nd floor, the surgery floor. Payton started to ask more questions, still not wanting to concern him we told him that he was in for his routine picture scans. We were called back for PRE-OP and they drew Payton’s blood to cross match for any transfusions that he might need. We had requested that Payton get his “giggle juice” (which is what he calls it) so that it would relax him. Chad and I were told that we could walk back to the Surgery room doors while the nurse moved him on a stretcher. I lost it, it was one the hardest things that I have ever had to do next to going in for his nephrectomy surgery. I ached so much for my little guy knowing what he would have to go through over the next few hours. Payton was finally taken into surgery around 12:50 p.m. First Dr. Miller opened Payton and tried to feel around to see if he could feel the spot in his liver; he was unable to feel it. He then placed an Ultra Sound directly on top of Payton’s bare liver to see if he could see the spot with the ultra sound and still nothing. Payton has had 3 previous Ultra Sounds that did not pick it up either so it wasn’t surprising. Dr. Miller then tried the IMRI and the picture came back with nothing on it. Each time they do the IMRI it takes 45 minutes and this was Dr. Miller’s first time of using this machine. Chad and I felt for a bit that Payton was being used as a guinea pig (in pre-op, one of the nurses mentioned that they were excited to see this new device used for the first time on something besides a neurological surgery). By this time Payton had already been in surgery for just over 3 hrs and we hadn’t gotten anywhere. Dr. Miller had the nurse call us and tell us that they were going to try several things to try and get a better view. We were praying that they didn’t just open Payton up and not be able to find this growth. They were finally able to get a good image and Dr. Miller was able to start cutting the liver and removing the growth. Using the IMRI, they marked the spot with a threading needle to show Dr. Miller exactly where to cut. The spot was small enough that Dr. Miller said it was like trying to find a needle in a hay stack. It was 5:00 and Payton had already been under for over 4 hrs. The original plan was to remove the growth and then rescan with the IMRI to confirm the spot had been completely removed. Because of the difficulty they had obtaining the first image, Dr. Miller didn’t want to rely on the IMRI to confirm whether they had removed it all. He called and asked one of the pathologists to stay a little longer to confirm whether the growth had been removed with clean margins. Dr. Miller kept Payton open while waiting for word from the pathologist and we were eventually told that the growth had been removed in whole. Thank goodness. After the surgery they put in an epidural to help with pain management. When Dr. Miller finally came out of surgery to talk with us, he looked exhausted. He felt confident that the growth was removed in whole. He said that it was about the size of your small finger nail and was round like the shape of a pea. Dr. Miller said that Payton did a great job and that we would hear some results on the pathology in the next day or two. What was supposed to be a 4 hr. surgery turned into a 7 hr surgery. Payton then had to go in for a chest x-ray to make sure they couldn’t see any internal bleeding. It was 10:00 before I was able to see Payton and I could hardly wait to love on him. When Payton came out of surgery he asked if he was in trouble. He has been asking that lately and I don’t know why. “Of course not”, I told him.

Payton has been sleepy and feeling groggy. He complains of his back hurting and his body being itchy. What a difference this is compared to his last surgery that he is able to communicate and tell us how he feels. He was up most of the night on and off saying that he wants to go home. Asking where Grandma and sissy are and asking if he can go to school tomorrow to see Mrs. Robertson and the kids. Payton melts my heart and is such a trooper. He is being so brave and we can’t wait to get him better soon. I will update as soon as I get the pathology report. Thanks to everyone for your prayers and kind words.

Update...

2010-04-12T16:04:00.000-07:00

What an exhausting day it has been and it still is not over yet. Payton was taken back for surgery at 12:50. Dr. Miller first opened Payton up and tried to feel around to see if he could feel the spot in his liver. After not being able to feel it he then tried an Ultra Sound and still nothing. He then used the IMRI and nothing showed on it. Finally after 4 ½ hrs of trialing he tried the IMRI again and finally got a good enough picture to do the surgery. It is 6:00 p.m. and could be a couple more hours. We are anxious to see our little guy soon.

Easter! April 2010

2010-04-08T08:06:00.000-07:00

Easter morning was great. My parents arrived the night before and it was so nice having them here to spend the day with us. The kids were thrilled with their Easter Baskets and it was great being able to spend the morning together. It has been a few years since I have spent Easter morning with my kids since I am usually working. We had a great ham lunch and Grandma and Grandpa had a fun Easter egg hunt planned for the kids. The kids had a great time hunting for the eggs since Grandma and Grandpa had put money in them.

It was a great week spending time with my parents. We took the kids to see How to train your Dragon, went to lunch daily, did a little bit a shopping and spent a lot of time talking about Payton and how concerned we were for his upcoming surgery. My mom has had some health issues herself over the past 6 months. She went on a cruise with my dad and sister and since then, she has come home with this disembarkment syndrome. She has been struggling with this for over 6 months, so it was nice of her to come and help with the kids given her situation.

Surgery update...

2010-04-06T15:13:00.001-07:00

Payton’s surgery date has been rescheduled for Monday, April the 12th. It was supposed to be the 6th until they realized that there was a conflict of scheduling with the IMRI that is involved in the surgery. It has been a long few weeks anticipating and awaiting this surgery. We are anxious and trying to stay hopeful that everything will go ok. Payton's surgery time will be around 4 hrs and he will need to be in the hospital for 5 days… with about a 3 week recovery time. His incision will be about the same size as his previous nephrectomy surgery. Thank you for you kind words, prayers, love and support.

Payton's Birthday

2010-04-04T05:24:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Payton's Birthday the whole week of his Birthday. We had some friends that planned a fun little get together at CiCi's Pizza for us since we were really stressed out at the time trying to get ready for his surgery. They had done a pirate theme with Balloon’s, Cupcakes and fun gifts. Payton was really surprsied since we did not tell him prior.

Payton has been going to preschool to Mrs. Becki's house, our neighbor on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons after Mrs. Robertson's class. Payton has had a cute little class with three little boys; Payton, Geoffrey and Morgan. Morgan was getting ready to move at the time so Mrs. Becki planned a Birthday Party for Payton and a going away Party for Morgan on their last day of school. These three cute kids are such great friends. She also invited 2 more of Payton's little friends; Nicky and Matt.

On Payton’s Birthday I took Spiderman cupcakes to his Pre-K class. Later that evening we took Payton to Chili’s (his choice of restaurant because of the chocolate molten cake) and we had tickets to see Disney on Ice the Let’s Celebrate showing. We got popcorn and drinks for the kids and they both had a great time. Payton was super excited to see all the fun Disney’s characters since he has spent a lot of time talking about them since our visit to Disney World in December.

We decided to wait and have Payton’s cake the day after his Birthday since Grandpa and Grandma Archibald were coming to Texas to visit and help with Payton’s surgery. They arrived late Saturday evening and Payton’s was excited to finally have his cake and to finish opening his presents. It was a great evening spent since it has been a long 9 months since we have seen them.

My Parents....

2010-04-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

I was taking a moment to look over my pictures from this past summer. I must be really emotional this week because I immediately starting crying. Looking at the pictures has made me really miss my parents. I cannot believe that it has been close to a year since I have seen them. I have the most incredible parents in the world. Growing up I know that I was not always the easiest child to raise I was stubborn and very selfish only thinking about what was best for me. I have the kindest most loving Dad in the whole entire world. He is the most patient, unselfish, giving and genuine person that I have ever met and he would do anything for anyone. He is so Christ Like in all of his actions and he is truly such an amazing person. It has taken me many of years to really appreciate the great wonderful person that he is. I believe that I am the person today because of watching his characteristics. I also have a very kind and loving Mom and it has taken me years to grow and appreciate her as well. She is always thinking of others before herself. I have grown really close to my Mom over the past couple of years. We talk on almost on a daily basis and I appreciate the friend that she is to me. I know that I can always call her for anything rather it is to complain about a bad day that I have had or just needing someone to be excited about a good shopping deal that I have gotten.

I don’t want to go another day without letting them knowing what terrific people they are. I am so grateful to such wonderful parents that have installed good qualities in me and made me who I am today.

Payton's Results...

2010-03-13T15:37:00.001-08:00

We met with Dr. Bowman on Friday to receive the results of Payton’s Thursday scans. Payton’s CT scan showed clean but his MRI showed the same spot on his liver which we saw back in December. The spot has grown from 8 mm to 10mm. It is growing slow but still worries Dr. Bowman since it is growing. Dr. Bowman contacted Dr. Miller a surgeon at Cook’s and discussed the option of taking Payton in for surgery to try and remove it as well as a piece of his liver. Dr. Miller has agreed to do the surgery and we are waiting for a call from him on Monday to set up a consultation and surgery date within the next two weeks. Disappointed, Nervous, Numb, Sad, Angry, would be words to describe how I have been feeling. I am trying to keep it together in hopes that it is benign. We do have it in our favor that there is only 1 and that it is slow growing. If only I can keep it together until we can go in for surgery and get some results.

Payton's 2 year after treatment scans...

2010-03-11T16:57:00.000-08:00

Today was Payton’s 2 year after treatment CT/MRI Scans. I can hardly believe that it has been 2 years since we finished up with his treatment. I was thinking to myself as I was getting ready to head to Cook’s this morning how much Payton has changed over the past two years. Payton has grown up so much and this was the first scans that I could actually talk to him about the day. I told Payton about how we were going to go to the hospital to get his pictures today. Up to this point I have just had to drive to the hospital and let him find out what he was doing when we got there since he would always get really scared. This morning I was able to get up and explain to Payton that he couldn’t eat or drink anything until after he received his pictures, he replied “OK, Mom.” I was thinking wow, how much he has changed since this all started. We got to the hospital and Payton walked into the CT scan room and said all grown up “I will take the picture, but you need to tell that crazy guy not to talk to me and tell me to hold my breath.” I never realized why the CT scan was scary to him until today. They have an intercom in the machine and they talk to him through it and it was scaring him. I am thinking to myself that I am so glad that he is finally at the age that he can communicate to me and tell me how he is feeling. It really helped make the day much smoother. Our wait for Payton’s MRI was long since they brought a girl in by ambulance that needed an MRI and she got placed in front of Payton. Payton did really well up to that point, but then he had a little melt down because he was so hungry. I had asked the anesthesiologist to give him the ‘giggle juice’ and he replied that he doesn’t usually give it or recommend it. At that point I said ok. Then when he was trying to put him under he turned to me and said he is fighting this too hard next time you need to give him the giggle juice. REALLY! Mothers really know their children best; I wish they would learn to trust us. By the time we got out of the hospital it was 5:00 before Payton could eat. I felt bad for him since I know he was starving. Our Oncology appointment is at 8:00 tomorrow morning and I am stressing and trying to stay calm. Hopefully we will receive great news.

2010-03-06T11:00:00.000-08:00

I took the kids to the park last Saturday since the weather is finally starting to warm up a bit. I had one of those awe moments that catch your breath and make you wish that you could freeze that very moment. I was watching Payton run around the park and I was having flash backs of different moments when he was going through treatments. I remembered back to specific times that I wondered what the future would hold for him. I remember wondering if I would be given the chance to see his health return and see him become a normal healthy little boy again. I was thinking about all this and then Payton turned to me and said “Mom, I just want to stay here and play with my friends a little longer.” The tears rolled down my face as I felt so grateful and lucky to have him say that to me. It hurts sometimes when I hear and read about so many kids that he went through treatment with that lost their life to cancer. I think all the time about why I still get to hold my little boy and watch him run and play and why so many other parents are grieving. It hurts. This has humbled me in my life and helped me to realize what is most important, because none of us know how much time we have here on earth or a full understanding to why so many of us face different challenges.

It has been a bit of a struggle for me over the past 3 months since Payton had his CT/MRI in December. I have been trying not to mix faith and fear together. Payton’s MRI and CT scans are this coming Thursday. Payton has had 2 Ultra Sounds after they found the questionable spot on his liver in December and has not yet had another CT/ MRI. I find my mind wandering at times and wondering if just maybe they just couldn’t see the spot on the Ultra Sound and what would happen if they see it again. What a struggle this has been for me and it seems like every day I have to remind myself that I cannot mix faith and fear together. I am grateful that I have a loving Heavenly Father that is aware of my challenges and is very tender and merciful. I am grateful for the help that I have been given because I know without a doubt I never would have gotten to this point alone. I am grateful for challenges because it makes me who I am today. I feel so much love for my two wonderful children. I am so grateful for the chance I have to raise them and watch them grow. I guess I need some of these constant reminders to help remind me what matters most in life.

Payton's Pre-K Valentine's Party

2010-02-28T14:35:00.000-08:00

The Thursday before Valentine’s Day I received a call from Savannah’s school at Bluebonnet asking us to come and pick up our kids as soon as possible due to a snow storm that was hitting North Texas. We are already on our second missed day of school this year because of the snow. I am anxiously waiting spring since it has been a really long winter season.

Due to school being canceled on Friday The Kids’ Valentine’s Parties were rescheduled until Monday, the day after Valentine’s Day. I surprised Payton and arrived at his school party. Payton immediately jumped up when he saw me walking through the door, telling all the kids “That’s my mom, that’s my mom.” I quietly told him to sit back down since Mrs. Robertson was trying to finish her lesson. Payton then said “Mom are you here for my party? I didn’t know that you were coming to my party.” Yes buddy, I replied sit back down and listen to Mrs. Robertson. He then said “Mom, we are going to have so, so much fun, we are going to pass out Valentines and have ice cream.” Yes buddy, I said, and I motioned for him to be quiet. “Mom, what do you want on your ice cream, you can have ice cream, mom, do you want one,” Payton said. Mrs. Robertson replied, “Payton, I am so glad that you are excited that your mom is here. Let’s have our Party." It was so much fun watching the kids interact with each other. I just love Mrs. Robertson; we have been so blessed to have her as Payton’s teacher this year. Several times Mrs. Robertson has whispered in my ear things like “I asked Payton why he has a scratch on his face” and he replied “my sissy did it, when I go home; I am going to kick her butt.” She said that Payton is quite the comedian in the class and it takes all she has not to laugh at some of the things he says. She truly does have some great patience and love for Payton. Payton tells me almost every day. “Mom, I just love Mrs. Robertson.” What a great day it was getting to see Payton’s entire class, all of his little friends are so cute and it was nice to be able to put a face to all the kids.

Payton with his Baked Potato

2010-02-27T16:59:00.000-08:00

I keep forgetting to write about some of the cute things that my kids say and do. I think that I will always remember these things but in time you forget. It was on an evening just before Christmas and Chad was teaching a class at TCC that night. The kids were just getting home from school and I told them we needed to head to the store to get Payton some new shoes. My kids get home from school every day and are starving. I have been trying to hold them off by having earlier dinners since they like to snack so much that by dinnertime they are not hungry anymore. That evening we went to look for Payton some new shoes. We finally found a pair that we both liked, but they didn’t have his size, so we headed to a different store. By then, the kids really were starving and Payton was having a meltdown in the backseat. I asked the kids where they wanted to get something to eat since I was not prepared with dinner that night. Payton quickly replied Wendy’s. We arrived at Wendy’s and I asked the kids what they wanted to eat. Payton replied” a Cheesy Baked Potato and Chicken Nuggets.” I had Savannah sit down by Payton while I ordered their food. I walk up around the corner with their food and Payton sticks his arms out and screams so the whole restaurant can hear him, “Potato, come to Papa.” Everyone was laughing and thought that it was the funniest thing. He keeps me going in life. I never seem to have a dull moment with my little guy.

Now it is Savannah’s turn. Savannah is quite the comedian herself. She is very shy and reserved at school, church and in public places, but when she is around her family in her comfort zone, she cracks us up. We have decided to do a three strike system with Savannah. She starts over every day and if she misbehaves or is mean, then she receives a strike. If Savannah strikes out then she loses her privileges such as watching TV, playing with friends, or playing webkinz on the computer. Savannah had struck out one day and was not very happy. She comes home from school and says can’t we come up with some other way to discipline me; I really don’t want to lose my privileges for the day. I respond, no Savannah, you cannot take a strike back, but tomorrow is a new day and you can start over again. She walks away for a minute and thinks about it and comes back with the response of Mom, “Can’t you just kick me in the butt instead, that will only hurt for a minute and me losing my privileges is hurting me all day. I then realized that I had found the right trick with her. Every kid is so different and what works for one doesn’t always work for the other. I love my kids. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t look at both of them and think about how grateful I am to have them both. I never realized that being a mom could be so challenging at times, but so rewarding at others. I am so blessed.