Have my cake and eat it too....

Deacon enjoyed cake today at cousin Jacy's party. The pics were just too cute not to share!

5 years...

Five years ago today we received the news that Braydon was in remission. It was in the 7 o'clock hour when the doctors came in and told us. I immediatly called Jacoby on the cell phone. He was giving a thank you/update speech on how Braydon was doing to the members of the community at the Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Awards. He announced it on stage and the crowd celebrated and gave thanks to God. Please join our family in celebrating again and give thanks to Him today for what he has done in our family and with Braydon. We are so blessed to know and have each of you in our lives through this journey and just so thankful for your support in all ways through these last 5 years.

Pictures of Braydon five years ago:

Pictures of Braydon today:

High/Low...

A few times during the week, either during dinner time or bed time while we are talking and saying our prayers, we will ask each other high/low? High is your favorite thing of the day and low is your least favorite thing of the day. Braydon's usually always involves being outside or some game we have played that day. Today my high was time at the park with the two most special kids ever. I can't think of a time I have ever enjoyed it so much. My time with them today was just blessed!

Thank GOD I'm a Country Boy...

We are fully embracing our new life in the country. In the last three days we have make a composter for our garden, made a plan and researched what kind of chickens we want to buy and I even donned some rubber boots while going to the hardware store! We truly didn't appreciate it when we lived here 5 years ago. We have a new outlook on it now and it feels so right. The thought of a garden, chickens and a dog in our near future really has us excited. Today we went and looked at chickens to educate ourselves on how to take care of them at a friend of ours house. They have had chickens for about a year and sure know more about it than we do. In fact I am sure they had genuine concern for the well-being of our future animals after some of the questions we asked! :-)

We will be spending the next 2 months getting garden beds and chicken coops ready! Yesterday Braydon made a composter with his dad so that we can start making our own compost. We will be growing an organic garden and want to know what is going in our food! Braydon looked like a little man out there working with his Daddy and using a drill all by himself! I was impressed and PROUD! Enjoy the pics...

From bad news to BLESSING...

We got back from MD Anderdson in Houston last night. Everything went great! Most of you know Braydon was diagnosed with pnuemonia and had a small section of his left lung was collapsed last week. Braydon's pnuemonia is clearing up and hopefully the collapsed area of his left long is on it's way to a full recovery. His oncologist said that he didn't hear any wheezing and crackling sound yesterday-that's great news! He hasn't had a fever in 48 hours and seems to be feeling well today.
Both of the kids were just great on the trip. Deacon, it turns out, is as good a traveler as Braydon....well almost. Best news...we got a BIG BLESSING out of this trip. Braydon just got moved out to three month appts. We don't have to go back until April. THIS IS GREAT. Most cancer patients spend about 6 months coming every other month after treatment ends, then another 6-12 months coming every three month, then they get moved to 6 months, a year, etc. Braydon had to spend 18 months coming every other month due to the fact that he is "high-risk" which mean he is at high risk for relapse based on his condtion at the time of his diagnosis. 18 months off chemo is a long time to still be coming so regularly, so starting to come every three months is a big deal!!!

On January 18th Braydon will be in remission for 5 years! Medically that is considered "cured" but we know he was "HEALED" a long time ago!

Rough start...

Happy New Year! This year is gonna be a great one for our family and we just KNOW IT! But it has gotten off to a bit of a rough start for my babies! Please keep them lifted up in prayer.

Deacon has an ear infection and has had a cold for two weeks. The guy never even complained! :-( We discovered it by accident really while getting Braydon checked out!
Braydon is a sick little boy right now but God has healed him before and WILL do it again! Braydon has been fighting a cold for a couple of weeks as well but didn't seem to be doing as well as Deacon. He had had a few sinking spells where he just seemed exhausted and shaky. He had some headaches and some justweird stuff going on. He was due to be at the doctor in Houston for his check-up with his oncologist in 48 hours but I thought I might get him checked out just in case cause something didn't seem right. Boy was I right! The lower lobe of Braydon's left lung is collapsed. There is no medicine to cure this so a hospital admission or prescription was not necessary BUT we did come home with a cool little breathing device and he basically has to "work out" that lung. EVERY 15 MINUTES for 2-3 days (except while sleeping).
Tomorrow we head to MD Anderson as planned. X-rays to follow later this week.

We also found out the results of his Nuero-Cognitive testing at MD Anderson from back in November. Braydon has been diagnosed with ADHD. At this point (especially since I homeschool him) we have decided not to treat it with medicine but just to change his diet, treat him naturally and just work with him on some behavioral/discipline things.
Will keep yall updated....just keep praying! God listens friends!

Merry CHRISTmas!

Braydon putting out reindeer food.

Catching a little snow on his tongue.

Watching the snow fall.

Looking at pictures of Christmas' past.

Here comes wild child!

GLAD...

GLAD to be entering a new phase of life. Anything that DOESN'T have to do with moving is great to me! So although I am glad Christmas is here, I am thouroughly exhausted from this move and ready for what is next! And as the old saying goes, "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all"....SO I am just going to post pictures. Enjoy

Braydon singing in the Shannon Oaks Kids Christmas Play

Deacon enjoying a blueberry sucker!

Jacoby enjoying a burger in froont of the painting he did in Muddy Jake's

More artwork he did at Muddy Jakes

Remembering a Star, Honoring a Hero!

Today we are remembering a Star and honoring a hero....please say a prayer for the Nuckoll's/Smith/King families today.

Here we go....

As most of you know Jacoby and I put our house up for sale a little less than a month ago and we had a contract on it in THREE DAYS! Yes that is good but a little faster than we had anticipated. Luckily for us we had a place to go as soon as it sold and we could be out very quickly. Our plans are to build on family land in the next 9-12 months. In the meantime my mom has a mobile home in Winnsboro that we can live in for next to nothing. It sits on the land we are building on so that works out perfectly.
We have spent the last two weeks packing our house and cleaning the house we are going to. The house has been vacant for three years so it did need a good cleaning. During the cleaning process we noticed a small leak in the roof and some shingle repair that needed to be done. Unfortunately once someone was up there to repair it, they noticed it was a bigger problem than anticipated....MOLD!. So it appears that the house needs a while new roof and the insurance company requires the house is unoccupied while repairs are being done. Of course we don't want to be there with a mold problem anyhow.
So...we are expected to be out of our house this weekend and just found out we can't go where we thought we were going. We are going to have to put our furniture in storage and move in with my mom and step-dad for 2-4 weeks. They live TWO DOORS DOWN from our house we just sold....so we are basically moving next door! LOL.
Oh well. We are keeping our eyes on the prize, we have a great plan for what's ahead and GOD is all over it! He was all over this...just think...it would have been HORRIBLE to move into a house with mold and have to move back out or worse, have gotten sick from the mold!!! And we have a place to go stay with family. Lots of people would not have that and would have to go rent a place....so we still feel super blessed. God said he would he would help us to achieve the desire of our heart (to build) if we would listen to Him and let it be in His timing (it was)...He didn't say the road would be bump free. So we are hanging on tight!!! (TO HIM)!!!