She's 5!!

Back from Chicago!!

G and I got home from the Windy City last night. It was weird...we flew in together, then he and I got into different rentals cars and went our different ways only to pull back into the rental return at the same time yesterday am! For G, his trip was many hours/miles in the car - Chicago to Champaign-Urbana to Indianapolis to Peoria and then the return. For me it was Chicago-Schaumburg-Rosemont but I also found myself on the tollroad to Milwaukee by mistake more than once!

G golfed and I went to the scrappers eye candy store - CHA!! Can you imagine it? A whole convention center filled with scrappers and their accoutrement? I picked Kathy up at the airport and we were off. Many adventures to share - I'll have to post those later. Here are a few of our goofier pics -

Kathy and the talented Tim Holtz ------




Self-portrait at the Cloud Gate in Milennium Park...I think Silver Kidney Bean would be a much better name!





Cruising downtown on the blueline during the late hours......




That's it for now. More later. Because in less than 48 hours this family is back on the road again and there is laundry and grocery shopping to be done!

Have a great day!

Champions!! And a plug for the power of prayer

Look at these boys!! Champions of the Summer Kick Off Baseball Tourney 8U!! What a great weekend of awesome baseball! Kade had some defensive plays that were unreal...in fact he caught a long fly to center to end the game which was amazing. Of course I got a little weepie!

But what made me even more weepie was the little guy in the back row on the right. Do you see him? With the patch on his eye? The fact that he is in this picture, standing with his teammates is a true testimony to the power of prayer.

At his first at bat of the day he was hit in the eye with a pitch. The boys had been clocked throwing between 45 and 50 mph that day. When he went to the ground he wasn't really crying, but the words that came out of his mouth were more terrifying - "I can't see." His mom, who is an ER nurse, and his dad scooped him up and took off for the hospital. His dad called me with updates all throughout the morning...broken nose....burst vessles....torn muscles....and the worst - the don't know if they will be able to save his eye.

So we prayed....and prayed hard...parents and fans for both teams....also for the little boy who had thrown the pitch. All the while we didn't want our boys to know how bad things could be. They won the first game and then were to advance to the championship game. They knew their teammate and friend was in the hospital and wouldn't be back so they hung his glove at the entrance to the dugout and touched it each time they went out on the field.

The game was a battle....and our boys battled hard. They got to the 5th inning and just busted it open. The hit and hit and hit and scored 9 runs. Then my phone rang again and it was Larry. The doctors were going to release Reese and he wanted to get back to the game. Did he think I could get them to hold off on the awards ceremony until they got there? I would sure try! The announcer announced to everyone that the injured player was on his way and could everyone be patient just for awhile. After a bit the other team started getting restless so they were beginning the ceremony and then I saw this..........

They were there!! Everyone went crazy! The players mobbed him...the parents and fans wept. An amazing day! Reese's mom said to me, "He shouldn't be standing here getting this trophy right now. With this kind of injury. If it weren't for the prayers on his behalf....this is all because of prayer."

So if you pray, you can continue lifting this family up. There are still many medical appointments in the very near future for this little guy. And there are still no definite answers as to his prognosis...but yesterday...prayers were answered...and tomorrow they will be too!

This is my kid!

I just was cleaning out my email inbox and found an email from Sara (thanks!) with a simple message "This is your kid" and this picture. Yep - he's all mine!! heehee

Happy Birthday Gram!

Happy Birthday dear Gram! I miss you so much. Even more so today. I'm wearing my Union Jack t-shirt in your honor today. Some will look at me like I'm unpatriotic....you wouldn't like that...with how much you loved your adopted homeland.....but then I remember that there is no sadness in heaven....and for that I am so glad....things have happened in the last few years that wouldn't have made you happy....especially between me and Pop.

Things have been said....by both of us....things that can't be taken back......you know the 2 of us are so much alike.....but we have completely different opinions about what's happened....and who is right or wrong....I've admitted my part but you know Pop better than anyone.....I haven't even spoken to him since Christmas....and even then he could hardly look at me across the table....I wonder if it's because he really is mad...or maybe feeling a bit guilty....sad....who knows....I want him to take responsibility for his part in this though....to feel that he should be held accountable.....

You would have been happy though to see all of us together....except Raymond and Pop....up at the beach house.....Mike & Amber and Hailey Lauren....Brian and Reece....my mom and dad...Eric and his fiancee Jen....Kimmy, Evan and Austin.....Greg, Keira, Kade and me....Keira made sure to remind everyone that it was your birthday! Dad and the boys were all out surfing....40 years since your #2 boy had been on a surfboard! We thought about you during all of the fireworks. Brian and Reece even went out to the cemetary and lit some off for you.

I miss you Gram............