Sorry it has been so long since I have updated. You know how the summer can be. It's either super busy or you are enjoying the lazy days so much that you just can't make yourself sit down at the computer and do something you "need" to do.

We have done some stuff over the last few weeks...a birthday party, a MOPS retreat (for me), Jacoby has had a lot going on, but we have had lots of time at home!!! That is so rare for us but I am hoping this is a trend that will continue. It's been a nice change of pace.

We have been doing better than good and we are more than blessed. I was visiting with one of my friends at church a few weeks ago about how great Braydon is doing and what a great report we had gotten from the Nuerologist at his last appt. As I told her all the great news we have had lately I became overwhelmed with emotion and I said with tears rolling down my face, "I just can't believe how much God continues to bless us. It overwhelms me."

God continues to bless us more with every passing day.Just last week I celebrated six years of marriage with my best friend. Jacoby and I were married on August 12th 2002. We were 18. We had no idea what we were doing or what life would bring us. We have been through so much together over the years -
the greatest joys and the most devastating hardships...and there is no one else I would have ever wanted to do life with.

A few weeks ago we received another amazing blessing. We are expecting our second child in the Spring. We are all three very excited. Braydon is going to be a great big brother and we can't wait. Though we do have to wait a while.... I am only a couple of months!! I am due on Easter Sunday-pretty cool huh?

THIS IS THE CONVERSATION WE HAD WITH BRAYDON WHEN WE BROKE THE NEWS TO HIM:

Mommy: Hey Braydon. You know how Bear has a little brother named Archer?

Braydon: Uh-huh.

Daddy: And Mia has a little sister named Makenna?

B: Uh-huh

M: And Kinley has a little sister named Presley?

B: Uh-huh

D: Do you think it would be cool to have little brother or sister?

B: YEAH!

M: Well Mommy has a baby in her belly and you are gonna be a big brother!!!

B: In there? (pointing to my belly)

M: Uh-huh

B: WHAT'S IT'S NAME?!?!?!?!

M: Uhhhhh we don't know yet maybe you can help us pick one out!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cute huh? We thought so too! So to celebrate we went bowling and out to dinner. It was a really great day. Braydon has been so awesome about it all so far. nd we are gonna do everything we can to make sure it stays that way. He has been to my doctor appts with us and seen the first sonogram. He is helping up pick out a name and right now wants to name the baby "Honeybun". Honeybun Smith is not really an option but we are working on introducing other ideas to him!

Thank you for sharing in our trials and celebrations over the last three (almost four-wow) years! I am glad to have you all sharing another joy with us!

Braydon is doing fantasic and goes back to MD Anderson on the 8th of September. Will update after that appt and let you know how it goes! God bless you all!

We got back from Houston really late last night. Everything went great. His counts are perfect and they can't believe how fast he is growing and how good he looks. The doctor still wants to see us once a month for now. We go back on September 8th. His instructions till we come back to see him were-HAVE FUN!!!

Things are going great for us. Braydon has healed perfectly from his surgery. He is feeling and looking better all the time. He is growing so fast. Homeschool is going great. We both just love his kindergarden curriculum. We are using My Father's World-we just love it.

We are still staying busy but believe it or not our summer has shown a slower pace that the rest of our year. And it's a nice change!!

We leave Monday to go to MD Anderson in Houston for his check-up....I will let everyone know how it goes next week!

Please keep us in your prayers and enjoy the pictures from the last couple of weeks:

Braydon plays with cousin Raven:

http://apps.rockyou.com/rockyou.swf?instanceid=118552672&ver=102906

Braydon at one of our family reunions: 

http://apps.rockyou.com/rockyou.swf?instanceid=118553029&ver=102906

Other Snapshots from the week:

http://apps.rockyou.com/rockyou.swf?instanceid=118553965&ver=102906

Today we went to the Nuerology appt. at the Nuerotherapy Center of Dallas to meet with Dr. Jonathan Walker. I was VERY impressed with him. He just did have fabulous job with Braydon. He was a really neat doctor to meetw ith because not only is he a nuerologist, he is also a naturalist, and believes in the body's power to hel itself...which we of course believe in becuase we KNOW that is how God intended our bodies to function!

I had explained in my previous post, that what we intended to accomplish with Dr. walker would take place over three visits: the first visit would be a consultation, the 2nd visit would be the QEEG test (or the "brainmap"), and the 3rd visit would be to find out the results of the brainmap and discuss if "nuerotherapy" would be needed or helpful to Braydon. What we were hoping to find out from the brainmap (which would be conducted on the second visit) what areas (if any) have been negatively affected by the massive amounts of chemo and anesthesia he has had. He has had 14 different chemo and has had anesthesia over 70 times. It is a well known fact that both classes of these drugs have long term effects on the brain especially when given to children for long periods of time.

I hope I am not losing any of you!!! LOL

Well my friends, I want to tell you how GOOD OUR GOD IS! Dr. Walker did a refloxology test on him today-which he said he highly accurate in his practice. The refelexology testing SHOWED NO SIGNS OF ANY AREAS OF THE BRAIN BEING AFFECTED!!! NOT ONE!!! DO YOU KNOW HOW AWESOME THIS IS!!!! There is no reason for us to return for the QEEG (Brainmap).

I can't explain exactly how the reflexology testing is conducted...you would just have to see it but it was nothing short of interesting and amazing!!!

We are wowed and amazed at God's grace for our family.  We live FULLY in HIS GLORY!

**After we left the doctors appt. we went and celebrated the good news at NRH2O, a water park in North Richland Hills. We had a great day!