New Surgery Date

Today we found out Dave's surgery date has been moved back to August 23rd.  This is the day before his 38th birthday.  This is good and bad.  Good because he will be able to get the school year started...Bad because it means he has to have this tumor in longer.  So now I have to change our flights and all that stuff.  We are busy busy busy.  The kids have me keeping the roads hot.  I have been their personal taxi this week.  They are loving seeing all their friends.  Dave is feeling good, just gets tired out easily.  There are so many things I want to do this summer.  Spending 8 months away from our house has left us with lots to do around here and I'm enjoying every minute of it.  Dave started back to work and is super glad to be back.  Now for a relaxing evening at home.

A Little Bit of Normal

We have almost gotten everything unpacked and put into it's place.  We are TIRED tonight.  Big news....Dave mowed the grass today.  I know it was good for him to be able to do that.  It's amazing how far he has come since we were home at the first of May.  His surgery has been scheduled for August 2.  So we have a little over a month to just live...to do our normal boring stuff...and we are thrilled about it!!  The kids have already scattered to their aunts houses and couldn't be happier to be with their cousins.  I've still got lots of work to do tomorrow to finish unpacking.  It's amazing how much stuff we accumulated over 8 months. It feels good to be home, but I think it may take a while for it to sink in that we are home for good.

He just had his last  radiation treatment....... He rang the bell...... We are headed home!

Erin Rebekah

Yesterday Erin turned 10.She is excited about turning 10.  What can I say about Erin?  She has always, since day 1, been a mama's girl.  She is the spitting image of me when I was her age.  She loves to draw and write. I love finding stories that she has written.  She is so creative.  She is learning to play the violin and this makes her Daddy very proud.  She is also my textbook middle child. :)  She still loves to play with her baby dolls.  She also loves playing with Samuel and building with Lego's.  She loves dancing and singing with Abby.  She likes to read and works hard in school. Dave loves the fact that when you give her a task, she does it to perfection.  I started calling her "Little" when she was a baby, and sometimes I still call her that.  She has always had a distinctive little voice that we love so much. I will now quote from our favorite Disney show, Good Luck Charlie....."You're gonna love who you turn out to be.....hang in there baby!!! "  I am proud of you Erin and hope your 10th birthday is awesome.  I love you.

Dave will be having surgery sometime in the first or second week of August. We will come back out a few days before for pre-op stuff.  We should know an exact date in a day or so. The surgeon has to coordinate with the urologist who be there for the surgery.   They need  Dave to have a full 5 weeks for the tissues to recover after radiation. Speaking of radiation, it has gone really well.  He has 4 more days.  This time next week we will be home. : )  I can't believe it's almost time.  Our apartment is a mess!!  We have half packed boxes all over the place.  Most of what we have to do will have to be done next Tuesday.  We have a full week planned until we are ready to head home.

Happy Father's Day...just a little early

   Happy Fathers Day to my Daddy!!

Lori, Giny, Tracy, and I have a good Daddy.  He always worked hard to take care of us.  We also were fortunate to be able to know and spend time with our grandfathers and most of our great grandfathers. 

Happy Father's Day Dave!!!



A few years ago when we were at the beach, Daddy found a bargain shirt...it was like 2 bucks so he bought it. He did not pay attention to what it said.   He put it on one night and I thought we would all die laughing!!!



Samo with his real sword!

Grandaddy White

Daddy with Andrew and Brady...He loves his grandsons.



Grandpa Hart.....my great grandfather



Papaw with me, Lori, Giny, and Tracy
We still miss him so much!



Daddy teaching Samo to ride without training wheels.

Proverbs 17:6
Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,

and the glory of children is their fathers.

Grandaddy White with me, Lori, Giny, and Tracy.  Oh how we miss him!!  He was like a grandmother and grandfather rolled into one.

Uncle Lester

Daddy and his 4 girls

all of his grandchildren

I am thankful for all the time my Daddy spends pouring into his grandchildren. He could be taking trips and enjoying his retirement, but he chooses to spend alot of it with little people :)

Daddy with Chloe, Abby, and Emma



My Daddy with his Daddy(my Papaw)



me and my Daddy...I'm pretty sure I'm his favorite...sorry Lori, Giny, and Tracy  :)



Daddy supervising the boys shooting BB guns

I love this picture.   I came home from a bible study one night and this is what I found.  Everyone piled up on a little couch.

Dave, Abby, Andrew, and Brady

:) LOVE (:

Dave and Erin :)




Daddy, Dave, and Samo

Grandpa Hall...my great grandfather

Grandaddy Burk......my great grandfather

 



Daddy teaching Samuel Math

  

2 Timothy 2:1-2

        You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus,  and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

This verse sums up Dave's life.  He does this with his children as well as other faithful men!!

Happy Father's Day.

A Rant.....just a little ranting

rant- (verb) 1: to talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner



Today I called to register Samuel for football. He loves football and has been talking about playing all year. I was told that unless he is registered in public school, he cannot play. This is because they follow the same rules as high school football. He can play baseball, soccer, or wrestle....but no football. I called Mr. Allen, the president of the Coosa Valley Football Association, and his advice to me was to enroll him in public school. I could hardly contain myself....but I did. My blood boils a little now as I type this.  So basically they are telling me my children will be ostracized because I choose to educate them at home. Last time I checked we still pay taxes to fund the public schools even though we don't send our children to them. So why shouldn't we be able to let our children play football or be in the band????  Here are some facts from this site..... Alabama's Tim Tebow Bill .


Facts and Statistics


Homeschooling is growing rapidly and there are an estimated 2 million homeschooled children in the US.


Alabama has an estimated 25,000 homeschooled children.


Research shows that homeschooled students score well above the national average on standardized tests.


Homeschool parents are tax-payers and voters.


24 other states allow some form of "Equal Access" where homeschooled students participate in extracurricular activities.


325 Homeschooled Athletes are currently playing NCAA Division I-A sports this year.


Dave and I have seen lots of benefits of homeschooling our children.  We both have a BS in Education and have taught in the public school system.  We are not opposed to public school or private school.  We believe it is up to the individual families to make the decision of how to best educate their children.  Right now the best thing for our family is to educate our children at home.  But, by choosing to educate our children at home, does that mean we we should have to forfeit sports and music that are offered by the public school system that we help to fund through our tax dollars?  That is the question I have been mulling over all afternoon.  The initial answer I come to is NO.  So I plan to contact my representative and try to get him on board with this bill.  I could go on now about how football is a sort of god in Alabama and what a shame it is that little boys can't just play football for fun in their community league because it is all about them being prepped to play high school football for 15 weeks in the Fall.  But I won't go on and on about that because what good would that do anyway.  Don't get me wrong, I love football, but I don't like this rule. 

Remembering 13 years

Today, June 13th, Dave and I celebrate our 13th year of marriage. I thought I would make a list of some of the high lights of the past 13 years.

1st year-1998-1999-our first little rental house in Gordo that we worked on so hard to make a home. Bible studies with the sweet students from Gordo.  Going to Grace Church in Tuscaloosa and making some lifelong friends.  Oh...and we can't forget the air conditioner never working... :)

2nd year-1999-2000-we bought our first house in Oxford, both of us had new teaching jobs, WOW...what a year that was.

3rd year-2000-2001-we got a new titles.....mommy and daddy.  Abigail Grace was born.

4th year-2001-2002-another baby girl....Erin Rebekah was born, and Dave began seminary at New Orleans.

5th year-2002-2003-and another baby :)  Samuel David, our baby boy was born, we lived in the little apartment in Alexandria, and learned to manage 3 babies together.  Dave began full time ministry at Hill Crest.

6th year-2003-2004-bought a new house in Weaver, Dave went to Germany on his first overseas mission trip.

7th year-2004-2005-busy raising babies, working....ahh the simple life.

8th year-2005-2006-started homeschooling. Abby's first year of school.

9th year2006-2007-Dave's graduation from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Erin's first year of school.

10th year-2007-2008- Began leading the college ministry at Hill Crest, went to Disney world with Ken, Ann and the boys.  Samuel started school.

11th year-2008-2009-became a part of Grace Fellowship.  Dave started teaching at Donoho.

12th year-2009-2010- so much happened this year, but the main thing was that we learned what the words we said on on our wedding day "in sickness and in health"  really meant. We went to Hawaii with the Donoho Band and Choir, I had major surgery, Dave was diagnosed with cancer.

13th year-2010-2011-we tag teamed school in Houston, lots of family time, watching God heal Dave through his fabulous doctors.

It been a happy 13 years of marriage Dave...I love you more and more I look forward to many, many more years!! Now...here are some pictures of us through the years.