Surgery is scheduled!

Well Bran goes to get "Larry" the lipoma (yes, we named it! - we try to make the best of every situation!) removed on Thursday at 5:45 am. It will a same day surgery where they go in and remove the mass and then send it off to make sure that it is benign! Please continue to pray for my Brandon! We appreciate all the love and prayers! Hope everyone is having a great start of the week!

"You have a cough? Go home tonight, take a whole box of Ex-Lax - tomorrow you'll be afraid to cough. "

~ Pearl Williams ~

MRI Results

Well we went to see the doc today about the MRI results. The mass on Brandon's spine is a lipoma. Typically you would not be too concerned with just having a lipoma, but because Brandon's has grown significantly in size over a short period of time the doc wants to go ahead and do an excisional biopsy (surgery to take out the lipoma). Once the lipoma is removed they will do a biopsy to determine whether is benign or not. From the MRI was also found out that he has a herniated disc and quite possibly a kidney stone that he may have to pass (poor guy!) Hopefully surgery will be early next week. Dr Deme is a wonderful surgeon and I would not want Brandon in anyone else's hands! Please continue to pray for Brandon and good outcomes! Love you guys!

He said, "If you will listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what he considers right, if you pay attention to his commands and obey all his laws, I will never make you suffer any of the diseases, because I am the LORD, who heals you."

~ Exodus 15:26 ~

Please send some prayers to the man upstairs for us....

About 6 months ago Brandon developed a small "knot" in the middle of his back right over his spine. We did not think much off it because he typically gets "knots" in his back from stress that I have to rub out so we thought this was no different. Well it is definitely different, and not that kind of "knot." He now has a large mass over his thoracic spine that is just getting larger. He is beginning to have increasingly worse back pain, with pain down his right leg. After I finally talked him into it we headed straight to the neurosurgeon (hes the man that DOES NOT like to go to the doctor), who ordered a MRI. Brandon went for the MRI today and it is definitely some type of tumor. We are unsure what type of tumor, and we won't find out until we see the doctor on Friday (it's only Monday...this is going to be the longest week ever). I am guessing that a biopsy is going to be the next step - but I'm not the doctor :o) So please keep Brandon in your prayers. We know that he will likely need surgery to remove the mass, we just don't want it to be anything malignant. I know I just have to trust in God that everything is going to be ok. But I also know the power of prayer can do miraculous things. I will keep everyone posted as soon as we get answers or find out what the next step to take is.

"Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: REJOICE! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

~ Philippians 4: 4-7 ~

Happy Daddy-O day!

HAPPY FATHERS DAY to my goofy dad who graciously left me this picture on my camera when I let him borrow it! :o) He loves it when I post pictures of him on the Internet! Love you dad! Happy Fathers Day!



Here are some more pics from our Fathers Day cookout Friday night! I am so lucky to have such a great dad! I am also extremely lucky to have such a wonderful husband who is a great dad to our 3 furry kids! Love you guys!

"Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad."

~ Author Unknown ~

Pecos Wilderness = bad luck!

Brandon had this Pecos Wilderness trip planned for months and has been pumped about it for twice as long! This trip was part of his graduation gift! It consisted of Brandon and 3 other guys (Jeremiah, Stu, and Mike), along with our dog Roxi going into the Pecos Wilderness (located along the New Mexico / Colorado border) for 6 days to rough it in the wild! They all had been working for weeks to get there packs as light as possible and preparing for every situation that might arise! :o) They left out of town early Friday morning, going to a place with no cell phone reception and tons of bears! This is not a good situation for a wife to be in! Everyone made safe but they came against a few obstacles once they got there! First of all it was raining and freezing, which was no big deal because they were all prepared. It did become a big deal once one of the guys fell in the just about freezing river! Here is the list of other things that happened...

• While using his knife to separate fire sticks, Jeremiah cut the top of his thumb off. Brandon pushed it back in place and put a pressure dressing over it that had to be changed every hour because of the bleeding. But I have good news - thumb is ok today!

• Once the fire was started the boys had there clothes in the area to help dry them. All of a sudden Jeremiah's hiking boot fell into the flames and the sole of his hiking boot was completely burnt off! Hard to hike in 1 hiking boot.

• While getting wood for this fire our crackhead dog Roxi went racing through the guys and sliced her ear all up in 3 places due to walking right into an axe that one of the guys was carrying at his side. Brandon said she did not cry or act like anything happened. Her ear is healed, but it looks like she has a couple of ears on one side. We call it her battle wound....

• Over the course of 2 days they went through a monsoon, tons of rain, hail, and snow!

• Brandon could not get poor Roxi dry enough at night and she was just about freezing! You know if that dog is cold...its cold!

So thankfully the guys all decided to head back home. They did not get very far in their 50 mile hike before having to turn back. Brandon and Stu are bound and determined to head back that way and finish the hike. No Roxi this time though....

Here are some pics from the trail....

Welcome to the Pecos Wilderness!

The boys and Roxi starting the hike!

Brandon said Roxi was very "motherly" she would walk ahead of the guys to check out the trail and then turn and wait until she saw the four of them to make sure they were ok before going any further! What a good girl!

Roxi waiting for Mike to cross the river

Time to set up camp and dry some clothes!

Some pretty scenery.....

Well Brandon and Stu were just so sad about not being able to finish their trip, so they decided to spend a few days at Big Bend (Brandon's second home!) They discovered a cool cave area on the side of the mountain, and even came across a mama bear with her 2 cubs! They are so cute!

Big Bend

Mama Bear

Momma bear with her cub

Tom Marshall: [as a bear sniffs around Dan] Stay calm. Get in the fetal position. It won't bother you if you're in the fetal position. [the bear roars]

Tom Marshall: Abort the fetal position! It's not working!

~ From the movie: Without A Paddle ~

I have the best hubby ever!

I have been pretty stressed with work lately, and I know I am probably not that joyous to be around....but my hubby puts up with it all somehow! He is just the best! Today after my haircut (which I desperately needed) he surprised me with some new earrings I have been wanting from James Avery and a trip to Luigi's for dinner! He even wrote me the sweetest card ever (made me cry)! Totally made my day! How did I ever get so lucky!! I love you Brandon! :o)

"When I see you, the world stops as if the only purpose in life was for me to love you."

~ Unknown ~