tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60939671625715716152024-03-14T03:25:38.525-07:00The Five DeForesTim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-20280241247561758582011-01-22T18:56:00.000-08:002011-01-22T19:01:12.517-08:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhFSDlgyb-MxPpIARbmvM8-fmZXu889xBrN7Vadmw1DKwzkidjP3EQEAL3MWlUsmzVk7QRwr735E-iHBK3qXmGQOt-OaMQwN1eB8eEccAK0e4nAAbZ3cr_QCOpfz1C7A-YZisbhB31v0/s1600/Security+guy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhFSDlgyb-MxPpIARbmvM8-fmZXu889xBrN7Vadmw1DKwzkidjP3EQEAL3MWlUsmzVk7QRwr735E-iHBK3qXmGQOt-OaMQwN1eB8eEccAK0e4nAAbZ3cr_QCOpfz1C7A-YZisbhB31v0/s200/Security+guy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565211007193404978" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkc37HOkRmF-uS5OmMj28lGGwlafDF1mLb93YUgZbJazdhNFEBvAhbQWimV_F8Tr1exjkIIHiJx0ddh3ZCIpyXNdbZRwODFUxmaYwylmVXOpMNFrcSldChlYGo7Wv-VL9niCyxyzLT9qE/s1600/IMG_0926.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkc37HOkRmF-uS5OmMj28lGGwlafDF1mLb93YUgZbJazdhNFEBvAhbQWimV_F8Tr1exjkIIHiJx0ddh3ZCIpyXNdbZRwODFUxmaYwylmVXOpMNFrcSldChlYGo7Wv-VL9niCyxyzLT9qE/s200/IMG_0926.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565211005600616898" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN_bt-W9r4LG5WlfYzUCQ7tv3mOXQUibSJT4q3p5dEsmwC4TrMDhXOA-v1rg7EjdoUNd_1D_ByCF8jjPM6OufJ7FU8v74O8lUP1-QVn5Pi2eBZYkyHs5BO2Dey1OkfWi9ZgoCN6o7OCnA/s1600/IMG_0882.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN_bt-W9r4LG5WlfYzUCQ7tv3mOXQUibSJT4q3p5dEsmwC4TrMDhXOA-v1rg7EjdoUNd_1D_ByCF8jjPM6OufJ7FU8v74O8lUP1-QVn5Pi2eBZYkyHs5BO2Dey1OkfWi9ZgoCN6o7OCnA/s200/IMG_0882.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565211000429912194" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTqaCXQOzMNRRTS0NTS8Cgq4_L0QQlI-i9b4YxTZKfkj9-R_YAMeNl5uaOOzQj-CQ0-UFXL-leo0gYwE71t9lD-XJV4jb4cN1BNDrovi3o3xYAEYxLZzQyfECj2BYisqrBjOlH2TU-sKk/s1600/1024101353.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTqaCXQOzMNRRTS0NTS8Cgq4_L0QQlI-i9b4YxTZKfkj9-R_YAMeNl5uaOOzQj-CQ0-UFXL-leo0gYwE71t9lD-XJV4jb4cN1BNDrovi3o3xYAEYxLZzQyfECj2BYisqrBjOlH2TU-sKk/s200/1024101353.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565210996683144210" /></a>Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-27493324432746965882011-01-22T18:47:00.000-08:002011-01-22T18:55:57.348-08:00Our Three LoveliesElijah has grown into quite the creative little fellow. He is all about cutting, painting, coloring, and creating. His current task is to create a forrest in our house. He suggested this for Grammy's house, but she suggested creating a diorama after envisioning her home:) At our house though, he has begun cutting out animals to place around the house. The computer room has been designated the mountain lion room and he mentioned that people would have to pay to see this, so I can't wait to see how it turns out. 2011 has started out a little rough with a week of fever and cold followed by a week of health followed by a week of flu and strep. Hopefully we are done with being sick for the rest of the year!!<br /><br />Gus, as I type is under the massive floor rug! He is definitely a crazy kid! We love him so much!! He is our destroyer er . . . should I say, his dinosaurs are the destroyers. Any time a dino is in his hand, EVERYTHING ends up on the floor flung around somewhere. It would be very easy to get irritated, but that is just Gus and you have to embrace who he is! His language is coming along and it is fun to listen to his new words. One phrase that cracks me up every time he says it is, "I thought you were a female!" Seriously funny (comes from Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs--one of his favorite movies). Gussy also loves his movies. The instant he wakes up, "Movie?" He is a sweet fellow!<br /><br />Lily girl is just a super duper baby. She is smiling now in response to us (not gas) and is so content. When she gets fussy, we just lay her on the floor and she stops. She is an independent gal just like her momma!! She laughs and giggles sometimes and it is just the sweetest thing. Her brother Elijah can't keep his hands off her and adores her! We look forward to seeing if we will see her rolling around on the floor wrestling with her brothers or prancing around in princess gear! It could go either way!!Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-62491153518770433042010-10-20T15:38:00.000-07:002010-10-20T15:41:56.156-07:00Baby LilyLily was born on Wed., Oct. 13. She came after being induced and only a few pushes. I have had to adjust to the fact that I have a baby girl and not a baby boy (a few slip-ups of him/he, buddy, etc.) but the pink, which I sooo dispised a few weeks ago, has really helped to make it real to me! <br /><br />She is the sweetest little thing, even if she does have her nights and days confused. She sleeps constantly, which for a while worried me, but she seems to be doing well. She has dropped about a 1/2 pound since birth but I am hopeful that she will soon regain that! She has caught onto eating and thouroughly seems to enjoy that now, along with . . . sleeping, of course. A picture to come soon.Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-75365665391222260912010-10-01T19:07:00.000-07:002010-10-01T19:11:11.998-07:00The Five DeFores?Lily is due on October 15, but from the sounds of it, may actually make her presence known sooner than that which is, of course, surprising to me, who has never actually gone into labor without assistance from the doctors!<br /><br />We are all anxiously awaiting her arrival, grandparents and Elijah maybe a bit more than me, as I have things that need to get done before she comes (conferences: booked every day next week; sub plans and generic lessons; washing; cleaning up the basement, etc). Tim let me know today that he was ready and then let me know that he actually KNEW where he was supposed to drive me in case I do go into labor:)<br /><br />So, we will keep you posted on when Lily decides to come! I pray for a safe delivery and a healthy little 9 pound baby!Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-49291296674575841592010-10-01T18:56:00.000-07:002010-10-01T19:07:31.134-07:00Gus, Our Seriously Big BoyGussy, as we affectionately call him, is a great little boy. He is so fun to play with and absolutely loves his older brother. He is very obedient to do what Elijah tells him to, unless he's not, in which case he very adamantly (and sometimes with a swipe of the hand to smack you), says, "Nnnnno!" He really does enjoy playing tiger and dinosaur with Elijah, has learned to play using his imagination, and play with play-do, thanks to watching and learning from brother.<br /><br />Gus's vocabulary is so fun to listen to. Three months ago, he was starting to use some words, but in the past month, he has really advanced, speaking in sentences and using 2-3 word combos. Pronunciation is still not quite there which can be very frustrating for all trying to communicate sometimes.<br /><br />Gus's favorite past time . . . BITING! Boy howdy, whether that kid is excited, angry, hungry, tired he BITES! It gets a little crazy sometimes when you are running away from him, while he chases you with his mouth open wide:) I am starting to think about Hot Sauce!<br /><br />While Elijah is super excited for the arrival of his sister, I can honestly say that Gus probably is not! He smacks, steps on, and steals from his little cousin Levi who is 9 months old. I am pretty sure we will have to give him nice lessons or else Lily's going to have a tough couple of years until she learns to defend herself. All kidding aside, I hope that Gus adores his little sister and truly enjoys her presence. I will keep you posted!Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-59795619165345624252010-10-01T18:47:00.000-07:002010-10-01T18:55:19.140-07:00Elijah, Our Big BoyElijah has become such a fantastic little boy. He is always asking if he has grown and letting us know that he is soo much bigger than his brother because he's older. We work to affirm his "bigness" even though he is only about 3 inches taller than his brother and only about 4 pounds heavier. But still, he is WAY bigger!<br /><br />Elijah celebrated his 4th birthday this summer. He enjoyed having 2 parties on the same day and was even gracious enough to ask Vee, who came to BOTH parties, why she didn't bring a gift to the evening party, because, "You're supposed to bring gifts to parties!" It apparently wasn't enough that she had brought him 5 plus gifts in the morning. Fortunately, Elijah has Grandpa Jerry and Vee wrapped around his little finger and they just think everything he does is adorable!<br /><br />Our little big boy started preschool on August 31. He has really enjoyed going and they do such fun things there. He is really in to dinosaurs and so has really enjoyed this past week where he got to go on a dig (ice) for a dinosaur. He showed us around at his open house the other day, which we enjoyed.<br /><br />Finally, Elijah is still SUPER excited to welcome his new sister, Sassy Lily (she still has 2 names), in the next couple of weeks! He is going to be a great big brother, again. Hopefully, he will still be thrilled to have her, once he realizes she won't be able to do anything for like a year:)Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-90061875496416473902010-04-24T09:37:00.000-07:002010-04-24T09:53:46.354-07:00The BoysOur boys are growing to be sooo big! It is a lot of fun with the stages they are in. They are both able to do a lot, which makes this house a happening place!!<br /><br />Gus is messy. That is the first word that would come out of Tim's mouth if you asked him to describe Gus. I keep telling Tim that he's not even 2 yet, but seriously, he's messy. Everything he touches, eats, drinks, plays with . . . is messy. There's no getting around it!<br /><br />Aside from his messiness, he absolutely LOVES his brother. He does EVERYTHING his brother does, even if it is hitting Mommy because that's what brother just did and got in trouble for! He has learned how to make the smacking sound people make when they kiss, so he will kiss Tim and I all the time, our hands, our arms, our legs, everywhere! He also ADORES being outside. He would stay out there all day if we would let him!! <br /><br />We have dealt with the vomiting issue by putting a mattress in our room and laying down with Gus at bed time. It is not the perfect solution, but it sure has released some stress on my part. He sleeps through the night and it's not a hassel to get him to bed (and no vomit to clean up). I have decided, though, that he has something wrong with whatever keeps vomit down, as he just seems to do it so often (even not at bedtime or when crying). We'll have to get that checked out.<br /><br />The funniest thing about Gus, is probably his run. If you see Tim, ask him to demonstrate. He is a flimsy runner who makes noise the entire time running. It is quite funny!!<br /><br />Elijah continues to amaze us with his imagination. He LOVES playing with dinosaurs and dragons and animals and playdough. He likes for people to play with him, though he does great playing by himself, but we sometimes get tired of playing with him because we are always the dinosaur that gets eaten or the zebra that is attacked. He loves "killing" animals and hunting. Tim recently got him a Cabella's Hunting Wii game so they could go hunting and a Sim's Animal Wii game. Elijah loves shooting the various animals as well as feeding little animals to larger ones. We may have to keep an eye on this, huh?<br /><br />Elijah has started reverting back to a 2 year old, thanks to Gus. He no longer wants to sleep by himself, he wants Daddy to sleep with him, he wants to sleep in our room, and he wants to scream (like Gus) in restaurants. He also says, "Up, mama," if he wants to be picked up (that's what Gus says b/c he can't talk). Funny, yet kind of frustrating. He has also started having bad dreams such as the other night: E: Mommy, I had a bad dream. M: Oh, I'm sorry, let me take you back into your room. What was your dream about. E (in a very angry voice): This one kid . . . he wouldn't let me play with playdough . . . and I was MAD (as he stomps his hands on his legs). I guess if this is as bad as bad dreams get, we are good to go!!<br /><br />So that's our news. The boys are looking forward to a new baby that is due in October. Elijah keeps asking if it is still in my tummy. He is REALLY hoping for a girl because as he said (in kind of a nasty voice), "I already HAVE a brother." We'll see in a month or so if he's going to be disappointed or not!!Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-15208057454551940382010-04-24T09:28:00.000-07:002010-04-24T10:03:01.295-07:00How's He Doing?Well, it's been a while since I updated this. In fact, I kind of forgot about it until my friend Jodi reminded me. Goodness!! <br /> <br />So, life is back to normal in the DeFore household. Tim recovered well, except for the bout of vomit and other end that put him back in the hospital 2 weeks post opt, from transplant surgery, and after being laid up in the house away from people for 6 weeks, was itching to get back to life!<br /><br />Tim is back at Holy Cross, taking care of the boys in the morning, and participating in everything he possibly can. He is able to help out at night with the boys (he hasn't really been able to since he started dialysis 2 1/2 yrs. before transplant), he's able to be around people (though he still has to be cautious that none of their nastiness gets on him:)), and he is able to go out to eat on a moments notice without having to come home to get his meds!!!<br /><br />His creatnine (how they measure the effectiveness of kidneys) has never gotten down to normal levels (.8-1.3 for men), but has come down significantly from when he was at KU Med (18 down to 1.6), so things are going well. He has to get his bloodwork checked every week for the first year as that is the time period that most people will go into rejection. In fact, they say that almost EVERYONE will go into rejection during that first year, and so that is something we have to be aware of. He sees the doctor once a month and was released back to his Wichita nephrologist at the beginning of March.<br /><br />We can only give praise to God. He knew that this was the perfect time for a transplant. The man who donated was actually from Wichita, and he saved at least 3 peoples' lives with his donation. We are blessed.Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-14018826231597820812010-02-21T08:15:00.001-08:002010-02-21T08:22:01.383-08:00Gus Right NowGussy, Gussy, Gussy, what to say about my youngest? Well, he is still quite hefty but is losing grounds on height according to our recent doctors appointment. He speaks very little but makes lots of noise. He is a tonal talker. He mimics the tones and so therefor, speaks many words, according to his doting grandmas!!<br /><br />Our recent difficulty with Gus is that he has decided that going to bed is NOT what he wants to do, at any time of night!! He cries and is angry if we lay him down. He vomits when he starts crying. I used to think it was just if he had a runny nose, then crying would cause problems and he would upchuck. The doctor says that it sounds like a learned trait! What?! How does one LEARN to vomit when he doesn't want to go to bed? So, it was suggested that when we lay him down we say very sternly, "You go to bed, you don't throw up!" It is very strange to get mad in tone when your child pukes because, normally, puking is a result of being sick and not being able to help it. Anywho, that is where we are with him!!<br /><br />Gus absolutely LOVES his big brother, except when he doesn't. HaHa! He loves doing EVERYTHING that Elijah does, sometimes to Elijah's dismay! He loves anything he can bang on or that makes noise. He also loves being near people and HATES being alone (maybe that's the sleep issue, huh?). He is a very lovable boy and enjoys cuddles and hugs. He also enjoys getting the Wii remote and "playing" Wii! He is so fun to watch. What a blessing!!Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-26250248894277419402010-02-21T07:42:00.000-08:002010-02-21T08:13:17.927-08:00Elijah Right NowSo my big boy Elijah is very interested in how big he will be when he "frows" up. He is certain he will be bigger than Daddy even though Daddy is bigger than EVERYONE else. It's fun the view he has of his Dad!! We celebrated Elijah's cousin Derrick's 23rd birthday yesterday. Derrick is over 6 feet tall but Elijah was certain that Daddy, at 5 foot 8, is bigger than Derrick as Daddy is older than Derrick. It's fun to see life from a 3 year olds view:)<br /><br />The other thing we have been working on is Elijah's speech. Frows (grows), shuice (shoes or juice?), and Lisha (Elijah) are just some of the issues he has. The "j" sounds like an "sh" as does the "g." He is still says berryfoot for barefoot. You kind of don't want to correct him because it's just soooo cute, except for when he gets mad at you because you have no clue what he is saying.<br /><br />He has the best imagination ever. He can play with his dinosaurs for literally 2 hours with no break. They do all sorts of things, but they especially love to eat each other and shoot one another. It is a lot of fun to listen to him pretend play. Elijah also does a great job of playing with his brother. They like to wrestle, play tiger (crawling around after each other growling), and chase each other. They are great friends and great enemies:) But, what do we expect of brothers right!!Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-87666807961272781262010-02-03T19:31:00.000-08:002010-02-03T20:09:40.752-08:00We Got It!Well, we finally got the call! On Wednesday, Jan. 27 around 6:15 PM, Gus and I were sitting down to eat dinner when the phone rang. Tim answered it and began smiling and saying yes and nodding. I started wondering what it was, so I asked if this was it. He nodded. And so it began.<br /><br />While trying to feed Gus and keep him happy, I went into super mode getting our suitcase ready and our moms called. When Tim got off the phone, he just kind of wandered around. I suggested he take a shower as it probably would be a while since that happened (and I love being clean). He did that while I took a whiny Gus and tried to tote him around while I gathered everything.<br /><br />We said our goodbyes to our boys and drove to Kansas City to KU Med Center. We arrived around 10:15 and got checked in around 11:30. From there Tim was poked and prodded until around 1:30 am when we finally went to sleep in the Transplant ICU. <br /><br />He was scheduled for surgery at 10 am, then noon, then 3 pm and then finally actual surgery on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010 at around 5:15 pm. There had been a few snags in actually getting the kidney to KC, but it had finally arrived and the surgeons were ready. They took Tim away and I went to wait.<br /><br />Around 7:30, the nurse came out and told me the new kidney was in and it was already working!! Around 9:15 he was done. Dr. Forster is the transplant surgeon who worked on Tim. He said the kidney was big, oozing more than he would have liked, took the PD catheter out, but was too tired to fix the ambilical hernia. I went up to the ICU waiting room and finally got to see Tim around 10:30.<br /><br />Dr. Winklehofer, the best nephrologist around because of his positive outlook and great bedside manner, sat down and talked with me prior to seeing Tim post-op. Everything looked great, he said. Big was better. Oozing, no problem. When I finally got to go in and see Tim he was quite doped up. He was so polite and said he loved me, with just a slight slur and slowed words:) Within minutes of me seeing him, the nurses started their secret talk of, "Listen to his lungs . . .what do you hear . . . call the team . . . get ready . . . " A little freaky for a devoted wife who just got her husband out of surgery.<br /><br />I was informed that Tim's lung had collapsed, a surgical team was on their way up, told all of the horrific things that could go wrong with putting a chest tube in, and then was required to sign a paper that said I was great with that. As I held back tears, one young surgeon assured me that the lady placing the tube was the best around, did it all the time, and it would be okay.<br /><br />In the waiting room, I broke down, prayed, and talked with Ashton, my niece, on Facebook. Boy am I glad she stayed up late that night. I was prepared for the surgery, but not for the complications. I am so grateful for the number of prayers that were being sent up for Tim. It is still amazing to me to hear of all of the places around the United States where church members of extended relatives and friends were praying. Around 11:30 pm, I saw Tim again. He was snoring away. <br /><br />Dr. Winklehofer had told me earlier to talk to him for 5-10 minutes and then go to a hotel because he would be out all night long. So I left. Later, I realized that he told me that PRIOR to knowing of Tim's collapsed lung.<br /><br />I got a call at 1:50 am from the nurse saying that Tim was ADAMENT that he speak to me. He apparently had been strapped down because he was trying to pull out his tubes and had no idea why he had a tube in his chest. He didn't remember me talking to him post-op and was worried that I would be worried. When I got to the ICU the next morning, he about broke my heart. He said he had the worst night and had been counting the minutes until I got there. Talk about guilt. <br /><br />Once I got there, things seemed to start looking up for him. He was in horrendous pain, not from the kidney, but from the chest tube. We can definitely say it was the thorn in Tim's side:) He slept a lot that day as he had access to morphine every 6 minutes to ease the pain.<br /><br />Good ole Derrick, our nephew, had Friday off because of the snow and so drove Tim's sisters Corina and Denah up to visit. Prior to them visiting, Corina's cousin Marsha and her husband Ed, made a surprise visit which really lifted Tim's spirits. I am so thankful for the snow God sent so that Tim's family could come up. On Saturday, Tim's mom Joyce and Denah again came up to visit as a surprise. Joey Weikal, who lives in KC, came to visit bringing us magazines and puzzle books, Stan Longhoffer from our church came to visit following a presentation he had in KC, and Marsha's sister Lori and parents came to visit. Tim was very thrilled to have all of these visitors as he was getting pretty bored of me! HaHa! He was also blessed with cards and e-cards sent from a number of friends!<br /><br />Following surgery, Tim's creatnin levels began dropping 2-3 points everyday! IV's got taken out 3 days post-op, catheter 4 days post-op, chest tube and JP drain (kidney drain) 5 days post-op, and we get to go home 7 days post-op (thanks Dr. Wong). His recovery has gone very well. We will be back every 3-4 days for the first couple of weeks, then once a week, then once every other week, until we are released back to Wichita care.<br /><br />We have been so blessed by a wonderful group of doctors, nurses, and aides who truly cared for Tim and knew what they were doing. Aside from the unfortunate event of poking Tim's lung, everything has gone like clock work. <br /><br />We are thrilled to get back to "real life" and see how that goes. My nerves are overwhelmed thinking about taking care of everything, but I am so blessed to have family support and my church family to help us through this. We have meals ready to be delivered, offers to drive Tim up to clinic (as he can't drive for 4-6 weeks), people willing to mow, clean, and babysit. I already have lined up a babysitter for Tim and the boys so that I can go play Bunco on Saturday, because, you know, that is top priority:)<br /><br />God is a good God. He is faithful and His timing is perfect. Did I mention that Tim was set to have surgery on Feb. 1 to switch to Hemodialysis because his Peritoneal Dialysis was no longer effective? Only God can time that. <br /><br />We pray for the family of the 42 year old Hispanic man who lost his life to a stroke for being willing to provide life to my husband. We can never repay that. Isn't it interesting to think, though, that 42 years ago, before Tim was even born, God knew the plans he had for this gentleman. For him to live his life, and then to save not only one but two people's lives with his healthy kidneys? I am amazed and honored that God knew, that God's plans are perfect, and that when I get overwhelmed and angry with God for not doing it my way, that HIS way is perfect! <br /><br />Thank you God! What a huge blessing you have given us!!! <br /><br />Please continue to lift Tim up. Rejection of the kidney is always a real risk as is Tim getting sick now that his immune system is purposefully down. His blood pressure and blood sugar have remained high, which is normal, but could also lead to other problems such as diabetes. Pray Tim does not develop that. We again are thankful for your prayers and your love! You are amazing!!Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-40191788556973459132010-01-02T15:15:00.000-08:002010-01-02T15:25:09.959-08:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUS0rT2PJL7h85HKdSQV04_lbdFZgPCz4cn8mcs7KqhzXBmSh_DVav_E75p9GzOaEXtBPsRMQn3L3tWn_iD4o67UkoiXAn3udJJg31J8RvxdnOUcINUhxKG-XVAoW7-q4u0iCpsk1cKLo/s1600-h/IMG_0514%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUS0rT2PJL7h85HKdSQV04_lbdFZgPCz4cn8mcs7KqhzXBmSh_DVav_E75p9GzOaEXtBPsRMQn3L3tWn_iD4o67UkoiXAn3udJJg31J8RvxdnOUcINUhxKG-XVAoW7-q4u0iCpsk1cKLo/s200/IMG_0514%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422287360672916850" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7dsPanJi-aWr6wTJfkPhRqjsS7yM400djAjQvjrrMZzep7xVByvPFRhyphenhyphenRk1H_hEfe13TNcXuaDMalSQVi1TVjPW5aUS8UTv9kLrm0Eq0rmdXaUUXDdiF3h92zaAEN00_9yfq12tY-WMg/s1600-h/IMG_0550%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7dsPanJi-aWr6wTJfkPhRqjsS7yM400djAjQvjrrMZzep7xVByvPFRhyphenhyphenRk1H_hEfe13TNcXuaDMalSQVi1TVjPW5aUS8UTv9kLrm0Eq0rmdXaUUXDdiF3h92zaAEN00_9yfq12tY-WMg/s200/IMG_0550%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422287385551749490" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVYqHkCq80SpS77eagCVNrUSu7Yy5FECaFCrxuRlznhTzneHl1Ww2q_S5xzcr2kWTtOHYD-8Wvyxmb7o-luqKGhUKBlx4T-yubKax98Qfeg7eDeq3R_T9rZMc9oiLnyzbtHzu47a9klgQ/s1600-h/IMG_0510%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVYqHkCq80SpS77eagCVNrUSu7Yy5FECaFCrxuRlznhTzneHl1Ww2q_S5xzcr2kWTtOHYD-8Wvyxmb7o-luqKGhUKBlx4T-yubKax98Qfeg7eDeq3R_T9rZMc9oiLnyzbtHzu47a9klgQ/s200/IMG_0510%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422287380526448306" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDSIP_xhuoYiHcafAJjkVYoYQEqbD3phddRwUwdAcIq7ySPP0VcSddTA7i0BdTr8xveFlmFZaTdaZPDev4rC4Laai3NV6lKCWZV7juV7zHl_j_53a8_IjxXwYa5IRZbwUF5Fx0FUkWxnw/s1600-h/IMG_0513%5B1%5D"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDSIP_xhuoYiHcafAJjkVYoYQEqbD3phddRwUwdAcIq7ySPP0VcSddTA7i0BdTr8xveFlmFZaTdaZPDev4rC4Laai3NV6lKCWZV7juV7zHl_j_53a8_IjxXwYa5IRZbwUF5Fx0FUkWxnw/s200/IMG_0513%5B1%5D" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422287371745257266" /></a>Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-81396448810774560692010-01-02T14:55:00.000-08:002010-01-02T15:11:48.483-08:00Winter VacationIt has been a wonderful 2 weeks off with my wonderful family. Elijah, unfortunately, has been sick going on 5 days now with a fever and cough. Poor little guy. He wasn't too devastated though, because he took his own little vacation to Vee and Grandpa's house for 3 days and nights. He wasn't too thrilled to be coming home!!<br /><br />Gus has learned very well how to communicate without words. When he needs you, he comes over and whacks you in the face, arm, wherever he can reach. He proceeds to grunt and point in the direction he is needed. If, by chance, he cannot whack you, he will scream in the most obnoxious high pitched scream you have ever heard! The one word he is able to say is "ot" which is Hot. EVERYTHING is "ot." The other word he knows is "dada." He says this word any time you ask him to specifically say something. Say mama . . . "dada." Say grammy . . . "dada." Then he claps and is so proud of himself for saying EXACTLY what you asked of him. He is a cute little guy with precious locks. We will have to be careful about him turning into Goldie Locks, as that is unacceptable, but they are so cute!!<br /><br />Elijah is constantly saying cute things. Just now, he pushed a button on the Alvin toy he got from McDonalds that says, "Hello Gorgeous." He says, "Hello Go Shock!" He once again, at Vee's, wanted to "get naked" (take off his shirt like Grandpa). Grandma Evelyn jokingly said she should do the same and Elijah said, "No, you can't because of those things on your belly!" To Tim, Elijah has told him, "Don't throw that mommy's milk away, we should save it for Gussy's sister who is in Mommy's tummy (wrong)." Daddy asked, "What's her name?" Elijah replied, "Kari, Kari, where are you?" Another time after Daddy had read the story of the 3 trees (the trees were used for the manger Jesus laid in, the boat when Jesus walked on water, and the cross where Jesus was crucified), Elijah asked Tim,"Daddy can you tell me a story about 5 trees now? When they cut one of them down, will it be made into a wooden puppy?" Elijah continues to amuse and is such a great big brother to Gus!! He loves his dinosaurs, animals, and play dough. Did I say loves, I meant obsessed!!<br /><br />Tim and I are doing well. We are on constant alert for the transplant that will be coming. They have called twice and we have not gotten it. I have begun to feel like the boy that cries wolf, only we are just sharing the info that we are receiving. One of these days, I will share the info, and we will ACTUALLY get the transplant. We also have enjoyed playing our Wii, playing games, and hanging out with our wonderful family!!Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-13982372264660025592009-11-11T20:50:00.000-08:002009-11-11T21:11:45.989-08:00Don't Forget GusBecause Elijah is at such a great age, he seems to get all of the press, but we can't forget about our sweet little Gus.<br /><br />So, Gus is starting to get a little personality of his own. I am beginning to fear for our future and his potential for strongheadedness:) At Toys R Us the other day, I let him get out of the cart and told him he had to stay on the aisle. Gus starts backing slowly up, little steps, looking at me with this devious grin. He backs all the way out of the aisle until he bumps into the next aisle, the whole while I am saying, "Guuus, stay in this aisle."<br /><br />When Grandpa Kenny comes every morning, Grandpa asks, "Where's Elijah?" Gus immediately runs and points under the table where Elijah is hiding. One day, Elijah had spent the night with someone, Grandpa came, asked his question, and Gus ran over to point under the table and then looked at Grandpa and Daddy with a perplexed look, like, "Well, where IS Elijah?" Nowadays, if Elijah isn't here, Gus will run and hide under the table:)<br /><br />Gus knows sign language for more and please. There are times when he wants something, and is emphatically saying MORE, and we just have no clue what in the world he wants. I guess maybe I should teach him some more words, huh?<br /><br />Gus also enjoys babies. Today at Target he had a whole non-verbal conversation (okay maybe it was just a staring contest) with a little kid in a stroller before they had to say bye-bye to each other. It was pretty cute to watch their interactions with each other.<br /><br />He's a pretty sweet little kid and is a great joy to be around. Gus is also starting to mimic sounds. Elijah has greeted Tim and Grandpa Jerry before with an excited, "Daddy," or "Grandpa," and Gus mimics Elijah. It sure sounds like he's saying something. The other sound he makes, is like a kitten sound. He will look at his books or sit in his carseat and make these little kitten sounds. The other fun thing he does is growl. Sometimes it makes sense with the situation and other times . . . well he just really likes to growl:)<br /><br />And finally, our little Gus can blow kisses and is great at snuggling. We will take him to his 15 month check up next week where, hopefully, he will be ranked at the top of his class:)Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-21509528150987700332009-11-11T20:14:00.000-08:002009-11-11T20:50:32.083-08:00Elijah Funnies for October/NovemberAffectionate names given: Fluffy, Plucky, mommy-kati, daddy-kati, and Gus is Fluffy-kati<br /><br />Elijah talking on a pretend phone to himself: <br />1. Hello? 2. Hi, how are you? <br />1. I'm good, how are you? 2. Okay, bye, I love you. <br />1. Don't hang up on me, I'm still talking! Okay, bye, I love you.<br /><br />PG-13 about to come, shield little eyes:<br />Elijah likes to point out Gussy's, Daddy's and his own nipples. Here's what follows: boys have little ones, girls have big, big long ones.<br />On a different day: pointing out Daddy's again: boys have little ones, girls have big, big, big ones . . . like their bottoms!<br /><br />Elijah saying, while playing with his zebra, "The zebra just got a new kidney!! Now it can fly!!!" Side note: We hope this doesn't happen to Tim with his new kidney:)<br /><br />Uncle Jeff asking Elijah what he saw at the zoo, Elijah replies, "YOU!!" and then starts cracking up.<br /><br />Elijah and Gus having a "girl" fight: Gus hits Elijah's head, Elijah replies, "Gus, stop," and then proceeds to poke Gus. Gus hits, Elijah pokes, so on and so on. I sit there laughing and doing nothing. Good parenting skill.<br /><br />Elijah waking up from his nap in hysterics because the playdoh wouldn't let him build something. Grammy and I tried to clarify that it was tough for him to do it by himself, and he hysterically cries, "NOOOO, the playdoh wouldn't let me build something." Praise God for a compassionate Grammy who coddled him, while Mommy tried not to laugh in his face.<br /><br />In the middle of a movie at the theater with his cousins Mason and Belah, Elijah shouting out of pure joy to Mason, "Do you like the movie, Mason, do you like the movie?"<br /><br />Elijah loves to have Tim tell him made up stories. One story Tim told was about a crocodile. Elijah named him Schnotsky the Crocodile. Another story was about a very clean pig, Elijah named Kartika, who ended up with the farmer's daughter. Tim suggested the farmer's daughter be named Sally, Elijah scrunched up his face and said, "I don't think it was Sally. I think it was Kiki-laki." Hmmmm, we fear for the names of our way in the future grandkids:)Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-78500318373252909002009-11-11T19:53:00.000-08:002009-11-11T20:46:26.684-08:00Tim's Kidney UpdateAre you kidding that it has been a month since I have blogged? So sorry:(<br /><br />Well, we are nearer to transplant than ever. We had our first run through at the beginning of November. Terry, Tim's transplant coordinator, called to tell us that he had moved to #3 on the list and there were 2 healthy kidneys that might be available. This was quite shocking and definitely caught us off guard as Tim had just talked to Terry a week prior to that and he was #16 on the list. Terry said she would be in contact.<br /><br />That night, we made our arrangements for who would be taking care of our kids in case we got the call and tried to prepare our hearts. It was/is quite a scary thing because there are so many unknowns. <br /><br />We did end up getting a call the next morning at 9:00 telling Tim that he was off the hook. Tim asked what would have happened had he gotten it and Terry said that we would have gotten a call around 2:00 am and that he would have been having surgery right now. So we got our first run through which was good. We got all of the kinks worked out and now have a clearer understanding of what is still to come.<br /><br />Please continue to pray for us as this is quite an event. It will be life changing for Tim, no longer having to hook up to a machine 9 hours every night, or doing an exchange every day, and maybe even not having to deal with high blood pressure any more. He will be on immunosuppressants though for the rest of his life and will be limited in how he plays with his boys. Pray for our boys as they won't understand why Daddy is gone, why he is in surgery, and why he can't play the way he used to. Pray for me, as I take care of everyone, that I would do it with love and patience and with the heart of Jesus.<br /><br />It is truly a blessing from God, what he has given these doctors the ability to do and we are so grateful for this. Please keep in mind the family that will be donating. Pray they will be blessed in a supernatural way as they will have to lose a family member in order to "cure" Tim. Thanks for prayers. We will keep you updated.Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-72651300463178698502009-09-24T07:02:00.000-07:002009-09-24T07:12:41.344-07:00More Elijah CutenessWhile driving past Arby's, the place we had eaten the night before, Elijah shouts, "Hey Mom, there's Barbie's." Made me laugh for quite a while.<br /><br />Elijah was doing some naughty stuff to bother his brother, Gus. He, of course had to sit in time out. While sitting in time out, he informed me that "God still loves me. Even when I'm naughty, God loves me." I agreed with him but told him that God would rather he be good. Elijah nodded and then said again, "But God loves me even when I am naughty." Once his time was up, he said sorry to Gus, and then yelled at me, "Wait Mom, I have to say sorry to God." He then proceeded to walk past me, face the wall, look up to the ceiling and yelled very loudly, "SORRY GOD!!" How cute!!<br /><br />Elijah went swimming with his grandma. Grandma was very brave and took both Gus and Elijah. Upon changing when they were finished, Elijah looked at grandma and asked, "Do you feed babies with those?"<br /><br />Those are the funnies that I can think of as I sit here at my STS meeting that is talking about my Digital Footprints. As I sit here blogging, I am sure my footprints are too numerous for anyone to follow!!Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-25113427151750173292009-09-06T20:23:00.000-07:002009-09-06T20:43:07.410-07:00Elijah Finally Over ItSo it's been 4 1/2 months since my Grandma Doris passed away, 3 1/2 months since Tim's uncle passed, 2 1/2 since Aaron's dad passed and Grandpa Jerry's dad passed. Those were 3 months of quite a few funerals for an adult let alone a 2 1/2-3 year old. Elijah dealt with these deaths by asking lots of questions and, later we figured out, by clinging to Mommy and Daddy. Prior to April, Elijah would spend the night at Vee's, Aunt Nini's, and Grammy's on a regular basis. He always enjoyed going and would often ask to stay longer. Following Grandma Doris's death, though, he stopped. He stopped wanting to even stay the afternoon with people for fear, I guess, of us not picking him up.<br /><br />We, Tim and I, didn't catch onto this until July, when we put the pieces of the puzzle together. Death is tough for all of us, but especially to little ones. When I figured this out, I felt horrible that my little Elijah would have a fear of losing either Tim or I. He would ask questions about death, and we would answer that we would go to Heaven because we believe that Jesus came to this earth to die for our sins and rose again. That He is God!! At one time, Elijah kept asking if I would go to Heaven, and I said yes, and he started crying because he didn't want me to leave him and go to Heaven yet. As I write this, tears come to my eyes again.<br /><br />What we have decided. No more DEATH. Okay, more realistically, no more funerals for the little guy. And . . . fortunately, we haven't had to go to any, praise God!!<br /><br />So, finally, on Friday, Grammy planned a party for Elijah, Mason, and Belah, to spend the night, watch a movie, and eat popcorn. Elijah talked about it for days and . . . HE SPENT THE NIGHT and had a blast. So much so, that he cried because he had to come home. Thank our Lord, that Elijah's grieving time is over. Yes, he still prays for God to heal Grandma Doris's nose, but he doesn't seem scared anymore. A couple of weeks ago he started going to Vee's after church again AND letting them drive him there.<br /><br />Being a parent, you learn so much. Thinking you are answering questions well and in child's terms, then finding out you're not. It's a great learning process. I am so glad that I have a wonderful husband to whom I receive support from as well as loving family. Most of all, though, I am so thankful for our Lord and Savior. Just think of how life would be without Him?Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-6059218389388268362009-09-06T20:16:00.000-07:002009-09-06T20:43:50.942-07:00Gus's Long Overdue UpdateCan you tell that school is back in session? Sorry for the long delay in letting you know about my wonderful little family.<br /><br />So, Gus celebrated his 1st birthday. He enjoyed opening his presents. Okay, he maybe got tired of them half way through and so Daddy had to open the rest!! I will say, though, that he ADORED the cake. Mmmmm, so much yumminess. It was everywhere and the sounds of pleasure coming from his mouth made it perfect!!<br /><br />Gus also decided he didn't want to crawl anymore about 2 weeks before his birthday. He just started walking towards items he wanted until finally, crawling was a thing of the past. Now he REFUSES to crawl.<br /><br />Gus is also quite the outdoorsy type. Anytime the door is open, he thinks he should be outside. He lets us know this by screaming at the top of his lungs and crying until someone lets him out. Grandpa Kenny is his favorite because he gets to spend hours upon hours outside, Grandpa Kenny following him around like a puppy dog.<br /><br />His cuteness quota: 1. Gus's singsongy pleasant noise that comes out throughout the day. 2. Gus digging like a dog in the sand, dirt, rocks; flinging it everywhere.<br /><br />Our little Gus is getting a mind of his own and with his little curls, is just about the cutest little guy around!!!Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-91482972362866406292009-08-01T20:32:00.000-07:002009-08-01T20:52:39.604-07:00Our Little Angel (Dedicated to Dustin)At Walmart today, Elijah points at a lady (probably a little large, I did my best not to turn and look) yelling to me, "Mommy, that lady has a big bottom!" Me ignoring him, "MOMMY, look! That lady has a big bottom!" Me, "Let's go Elijah."<br /><br />At Crackerbarrel to my cousin Cheri, "That lady has a FULL belly." And, yes, the lady was quite a bit overweight.<br /><br />Elijah, when we tell him he can't watch a movie, eat candy, kick his brother, and so forth: Screams at the top of his lungs and then has a burst of outrage in some demonic voice (Tim, reading over my shoulder, says it's NOT demonic, well, just some kind of shriek).<br /><br />Elijah, screaming to us, demanding we do what he says.<br /><br />Elijah, getting angry at the door because it won't stay open, screams at it and then proceeds to bite it. This tends to be his favorite way to deal with his anger. Other household items (including toys and various furniture) have also felt the wrath of Elijah.<br /><br />Elijah yelling at me because I shut the door purposefully on him to harm him in some way (I went out 3 seconds earlier and THEN he chose to follow).<br /><br />Elijah pounding Gus on the back (just because he felt like it), laying on top of Gus (because Gus likes it . . . NOT), blocking Gus's path while laughing, getting in Gussy's face yelling, "Goochy, goochy!"<br /><br />Elijah, bothering Gus to the point that Gus begins to cry. Elijah responds, "shhh, shhh, shhh." Mommy, Daddy, I help Gus!!<br /><br />And so that is our little angel. This was dedicated to Dustin, and seriously all of our grandparents who think our kids are little angels. This was to open your eyes. But, seriously, even the above naughtiness, makes me laugh when it's all said and done!! Enjoy your little one, Dustin. I hope SHE (just a hunch) is as angelic as our boys! HeeHee!!Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-36470745133448186412009-07-29T17:55:00.000-07:002009-07-29T17:57:17.071-07:00Miniature Bride and Groom<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvE3ibu96AIhS-Zk9qhZo6csPHTtlHiERm60IAMzUSh8hrXDTJFw3ekzBD4epTB2SufAjJkGQ28cj8VlaFvWqxBDqeUy3eq5Ak6FVvyYobxyUlCtC-QMf68nND2id2QMPJMnDM_33mRk/s1600-h/IMG_0355.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364050800809088690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvE3ibu96AIhS-Zk9qhZo6csPHTtlHiERm60IAMzUSh8hrXDTJFw3ekzBD4epTB2SufAjJkGQ28cj8VlaFvWqxBDqeUy3eq5Ak6FVvyYobxyUlCtC-QMf68nND2id2QMPJMnDM_33mRk/s200/IMG_0355.JPG" /></a><br /><div>I don't want to gloat, but they were almost cuter than the actual bride and groom!!</div>Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-79560533415355353932009-07-29T17:53:00.000-07:002009-07-29T17:55:21.760-07:00Cowboy and Mommy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCwjtQUHIlKVaRPeWmfvNhMqQ3sllTenke3raYa3k5l_kh_y28rtu3l-Ym_EDm2syWW_tF8OvYj5y53meUhsw0RRCU6NU_jyLEwezeaaw4uphLKnV4fhtL0PE4eikufC2EQj-l0Fep5U/s1600-h/IMG_0350.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364050304226440178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCwjtQUHIlKVaRPeWmfvNhMqQ3sllTenke3raYa3k5l_kh_y28rtu3l-Ym_EDm2syWW_tF8OvYj5y53meUhsw0RRCU6NU_jyLEwezeaaw4uphLKnV4fhtL0PE4eikufC2EQj-l0Fep5U/s200/IMG_0350.JPG" /></a><br /><div>Me and Elijah playing neatly outside waiting for the wedding to start.</div>Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-33740242161813301932009-07-29T17:51:00.000-07:002009-07-29T17:53:56.037-07:00Our Cowboy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeo-kYJWSiqR1nKj71VoBjcKSUaUEBfBMzjdGKqItegfRRmjbiKa8oHUaRFVE0GW_8pedstHz0jyXvNeO0UOIeHgGokXkcoHNuNSz1Q4aBMXmY4N4z3a7dCZPS5E0IUT1pfyPaXICYZ9I/s1600-h/IMG_0311.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364049893935116306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeo-kYJWSiqR1nKj71VoBjcKSUaUEBfBMzjdGKqItegfRRmjbiKa8oHUaRFVE0GW_8pedstHz0jyXvNeO0UOIeHgGokXkcoHNuNSz1Q4aBMXmY4N4z3a7dCZPS5E0IUT1pfyPaXICYZ9I/s200/IMG_0311.JPG" /></a><br /><div>Elijah and Mason at Briana's wedding. Elijah was the miniature groom and Mason the horseshoe bearer. Quite adorable if you ask me!!</div>Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-47013748185239578622009-07-11T15:54:00.000-07:002009-07-11T16:16:15.411-07:00Our Three Year OldSo our little boy is growing up!! What a familiar saying, huh?<br /><br />Elijah celebrated his 3rd birthday on Friday, July 3 with family from both sides (totalling 28) coming over to our house for a barbeque. The host (me) apparently didn't count well as the cook (Tim) didn't get any of the burgers or hotdogs that he slaved over in cooking. Oops!! I don't think anyone else noticed (at least hopefully not:))<br /><br />Elijah had a grand ol' time playing in the water with his cousins Mason and Belah, opening presents, and eating his Lightening McQueen cake that his cousin Briana and Aunt Nini made for him. The cake was probably the highlight of Elijah's evening. He had been very concerned with the cake beginning on Monday!! Our little boy was very polite in saying thank you and has played with and adored EVERY present he received.<br /><br />Elijah's highlights:<br /><br />He loves to fish. He doesn't like to cast or reel in, but loves putting the bait and lures on as well as holding the fish and smiling for pictures (hoping to post some soon).<br /><br />He is fully potty trained.<br /><br />Prays regularly for 2 people and 1 people.<br /><br />Loves movies of any kind and would sit in front of the TV all day long if we allowed it. However, he gets a little cranky if he watches too much early in the day.<br /><br />Enjoys playing with his baby brother Gus.<br /><br />Enjoys tormenting his baby brother Gus.<br /><br />Loves swimming and bath time but can't stand getting his face wet.<br /><br />Enjoys staying at home but not spending the night with people.<br /><br />We look forward to another year of blessings with our little one Elijah. What a great gift from God he has been and will continue to be. We pray he will continue to grow in God and be a great disciple of Jesus!!!Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093967162571571615.post-4518969998202198902009-07-04T17:32:00.001-07:002009-07-04T17:36:47.151-07:00Cute Gus Pictures<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcj6iqouT5xN8kfaJMaiVzJvj8yw8VmELaPYBCsC6jtSjz5c3btza-NvNrp_KrMkJavoRZcHDF_zKHLXQEksjbOaMtMMbr7FD2eNa_QHL5NRl4DQz9eV4s4UNxsKCoTGjttQC24e6XHIw/s1600-h/IMG_0242.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354768420294403554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcj6iqouT5xN8kfaJMaiVzJvj8yw8VmELaPYBCsC6jtSjz5c3btza-NvNrp_KrMkJavoRZcHDF_zKHLXQEksjbOaMtMMbr7FD2eNa_QHL5NRl4DQz9eV4s4UNxsKCoTGjttQC24e6XHIw/s200/IMG_0242.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKaAIiZC5kvuCQPTtNWOQqqGYJzwiIA-_uYclD2gS2mVceFA5GTkl0zQsfxFtISlpy-rB20X4zXx6-GycGHmXpBaEy1XCWsnUhrU2XfLoVgOOYJUcyTaW8PfUOYDcWj0FoXTa5rB9orA0/s1600-h/IMG_0193.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354768410736392370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKaAIiZC5kvuCQPTtNWOQqqGYJzwiIA-_uYclD2gS2mVceFA5GTkl0zQsfxFtISlpy-rB20X4zXx6-GycGHmXpBaEy1XCWsnUhrU2XfLoVgOOYJUcyTaW8PfUOYDcWj0FoXTa5rB9orA0/s200/IMG_0193.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4pavZojoCNKfWx3nf-7PiFhUDeVabA8iL5STw1VFaOW0n04djhVcHHl8aeDHvwvZ7nkRtupsR1WUXXyg5ZmFPmbeFQXeXbAFhUBzmzmC9hAs81eT8jNmbzT5y0861znw8VC9LpHghKw/s1600-h/IMG_0134.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354768400349980802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4pavZojoCNKfWx3nf-7PiFhUDeVabA8iL5STw1VFaOW0n04djhVcHHl8aeDHvwvZ7nkRtupsR1WUXXyg5ZmFPmbeFQXeXbAFhUBzmzmC9hAs81eT8jNmbzT5y0861znw8VC9LpHghKw/s200/IMG_0134.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjel1FgXDEFOxAhECGPzcG5SSQMYlFLWu-PC2HFkUsejd4dezVz8bW9GQF4rppEegwx97ZPE_is8gL1DvwEAwbiOvU2qrJC_vRsk3JC1AlBEyFZQNo2ha-UiwPODb4jbggfX6OnL6W-D_s/s1600-h/IMG_0061.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354768395552091570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjel1FgXDEFOxAhECGPzcG5SSQMYlFLWu-PC2HFkUsejd4dezVz8bW9GQF4rppEegwx97ZPE_is8gL1DvwEAwbiOvU2qrJC_vRsk3JC1AlBEyFZQNo2ha-UiwPODb4jbggfX6OnL6W-D_s/s200/IMG_0061.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Sweet little Gus:)</div></div></div></div>Tim and Mikellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01438957582238537668noreply@blogger.com0