off to PreK again...

Of course my intentions were not to post Mason's back to school pictures almost a month late.  But it has seemed like ever since he has started back to school also, we've hit the ground running.

We celebrated the night before with a Back-to-School dinner just like we did for Taylor.  He sure eats up any time the attention is on him, he was so darn cute.

We had a really hard time keeping Gavin out of the pictures.  He loves his brother soooo much.  Seriously, those two have such a special bond.  Gavin wants to know where "Bubba" is all the time.  He wants to show him what he can do, and wants to do everything Mason does and say everything Mason says.  He got to go into the classroom when we dropped Mason off, and he had a super hard time leaving.

This boy melts my heart. 

 He's grown up a lot this past year.  Being a big brother is the perfect role for him.

His creativity is beginning to bloom, he loves to sit and color and make up his own crafts.

But I'd have to say the highlight of this little guy's days lately have been that he's finally old enough to go to work with Dad. Those are the best days.

He'd go to work with Dad every day if he didn't have to go to school. 

I told you this guy wasn't very happy to leave his big brother behind.  He wasn't happy at all when we drove away.

 And just for fun so you can see how much he's grown up in a year...

So now Mommy is having to re-learn how to entertain an almost 2 year old with no other playmates at home.  We are adjusting to this new season, and filling the time with playdates with his neighbor buddy Brahm, going to bible study and we'll start Library time soon. 

But Gavin's favorite time of the day is definitely going to pick up "Bubba" from school.

an update on Sydney

Wow, it's been quite the month already, and it's only about 3/4 over.  It's hard to post about other things when everything else seems so insignificant while we watch our family battle for their daughter's life.

Thank you to everyone who's been praying for our niece.  It has been a roller coaster to say the least. 

Just as her mom started to think she should print all the entries from her battle 3 years ago and shut down the site, she found herself posting the news of relapse.  I know that so many of you are following along already, but just in case you aren't connected with me on Facebook, here is her CaringBridge link:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/sydneybalzer

You may have to sign up, create a username and password, but if you stay logged in you shouldn't have to enter it every time.  You can get a CaringBridge app for your phone too, and be able to access it a little bit easier.  I will say that was the most depressing app I've ever added to my phone and I cannot wait to take it off.

The news of Sydney's relapse has had me searching and pleading to God to teach me more and more about his character and his truths and to somehow give me even little bits of understanding over the pain and suffering in this world.  Already many, many times I've heard family and friends, and even myself wonder how this could happen not only once, but again. It's the questions that anyone would ask, the questions that go way back into history that people have always been asking.  They are the same questions that Job asked as he experienced extreme pain and suffering.  Why Sydney? Why such an innocent little girl? Why this family? Why cancer?  Why again?  I will never fully understand.  None of us will.  But I am so thankful that when I come to the Lord and ask Him to give me something...anything...he does.

In fact I had started a new bible study on my own a few months ago, but ended up setting it aside with all intentions to pick it back up later.  Isn't it so cool to see glimpses of the Lord's sovereignty in such small details of our lives?  See, I didn't have any reason to set it aside, other than the fact that I wasn't feeling like it was what I wanted to commit to this past summer in all of our craziness.  I had told myself that I'd start it the first week of September.  September 5th is the day we got the call about the relapse. The Lord knew when I would need what was on the pages of that book.  He knew exactly what day I would pick that back up, and begin studying the book of Job, and find the encouragement and the wisdom I needed at the perfect time.

I would love to share some of what I've been learning with you. But who am I to share those things?  I feel so inadequate. I'm praying about that.  I know it's stuff that we ALL deal with.  And if the pain and suffering of this world hasn't visited your city limits, or knocked on your front door yet...more than likely it will at some point.  It's inevitable in this fallen, sin-filled world.  

But ultimately, I'm learning...slowly...that while suffering is many things...in the end it is God's invitation to trust Him,

and to look forward to a place where there will be no tears, no cancer, no pain, no relapses, no suffering...and in their place will be nothing but pure joy. 

Please continue to pray for Sydney.  She's got a long road ahead...again.  Pray for her parents. I honestly cannot even imagine this battle day in and day out.  And pray for complete remission by Day 28 (she's on Day 15 right now)..

will you pray?

 I hate that I just completed our posts from our celebration cruise in July. 

A celebration of the victory over cancer and the life of my sweet  niece.

 And today we found out that the battle continues.

A doctor's visit after not feeling well for a few weeks confirmed that the cancer is back and is more aggressive than the first time.

Yesterday was her first day of 4th grade. Tomorrow she returns to the hospital for surgery while her parents face decisions on what course of treatment they will take.  The bad one or the worse one.  She understands so much more of what is going on and what's ahead of her than she did the first time she was diagnosed, 3 years ago this month. 

 The Lord is on the throne.  He is mighty to save.  He brought her through this fire once, and we pray with all our might that he will do it again. 

Will you pray with us? This is going to be a rough week...and the weeks ahead possibly rougher.

Last Post of Sydney's Celebration Cruise {Cozumel}

 Our 2nd stop was a rainy and dreary Cozumel.  It was a little bit challenging trying to decide what to do when we ported.  A lot of the rest of the group were headed off to an "Amazing Race" excursion we weren't sure if our kiddos would enjoy.  Several of the excursions we would have been willing to pay for, the kids weren't old enough for.  So in the end, they stayed on the boat with Papa and Nana and Dave and I got a few hours on our own to go zip-lining. The rain didn't last, but the rest of the day was cloudy and gray.

 We met back up with the kids and were determined to find a beach.

We rented a dune buggy and took off on our own. 

We found Paradise Beach (man, it's been so long, I THINK that's what it was called) and the rest of the day was perfect.

The kids loved swimming out to all the blow-ups with Daddy.

We left the beach and wanted to cruise the main strip of Cozumel.  I looked back during our drive to see this...

 

Both of the kids got to choose one souvenir from each stop.  Taylor decided her souvenir would be hair braids.  And to our complete surprise, our fairly reserved little girl begged for a whole head of braids, as opposed to just a single little braid or two.  She's only 6 years old in Cozumel once, so we agreed.

Just a few more pictures from the boat...

 

Love this picture of my handsome boys.  (sorry for the quality - they are pictures of pictures :-)

And a few more memories I don't want to forget...

 like the way theses kiddos slept so hard every night (this was back in Florida in the hotel, not the boat).

 and the sweet note and gift of change Taylor wanted to leave for our cabin maid,

And the surprise that Taylor and Mason got when they arrived back in Wichita to find their brother was still awake and had come to the airport to see them!  As we got closer and closer to home that day, they could hardly stand the fact that we still had a 30 minute drive after getting off the plane, before they could see their baby brother.  So his surprise airport welcome was super sweet!

 

It was an amazing trip and such a special time with Dave's side of the family.  We are truly truly blessed to have been able to do both of these trips.  I have thought many times back on our summer already and can hardly believe all that we did.  We missed our sweet Gavin terribly! But we are so thankful for the fun and memories we made with our two oldest.