Carson's Corner

Suprise

2012-02-02T15:48:00.000-08:00

This post is about Silas. My second baby boy. As I was looking for pictures to do today's post and give you a update about the month of January I found some very special pictures that I didn't have a chance to put up. I have always intended to do a blog post dedicated to just Silas so here it is. Silas came to us last April, just a teeny tiny little guy. I was afraid to hold him he was so small. I think. I was also so worried when they left him alone with me that first night. He was so newborn. I didn't hold Carson until he was 3 days old.. Silas was probably 3 minutes when I got to hold him... He hadn't even had a bath yet... :)

Silas was a complete surprise! When I found out that I was expecting him, Carson was only 9 months old. I was shocked and terrified to be pregnant again so soon. How in the world was this right? I questioned God... because I had trusted Him to give us our next baby in His timing. I trusted His timing... How could He be right to give us our 2nd so soon....

He was SOOOO RIGHT!!!

Silas has been nothing short of a miracle and a blessing in our lives. I love that he and Carson are so close in age. They are buddies. I love that I have two little boys who wrestle and throw a ball back and forth. I love these little boys in a bazillion ways.

Silas is so sweet, and so happy. He has the most contagious smile and mischievous grin.

He is like Carson in a hundred ways, and yet so different too. He loves food. He hates naps. He can crawl, and stand and make a mess of trouble in a single second. He loves to attack and finds the funniest ways to draw attention to himself. He loves his big brother, and anything that he does is super cool and must be attempted.

This past weekend we found out that we are now expecting baby #3. We are super excited. It is soon- Silas is 9 months old, and in that short little 9 months we have learned to trust God's plan and just how much of a blessing children are. Maybe we will 30. ha ha... totally kidding. :)

Sooo lets rewind. are those older photos I found.

Silas got his first haircut--

The boy was getting pretty shaggy. Time for a cut 11/9/2011

He did so perfect. I remember the days when Carson used to sit this still for me

The funny thing was he would grab each piece of hair that I cut off

Are we done yet??

Oh please let me look good.

I almost cried when we finished.... This cut made him look a little too much like a little boy.

Had to get some pictures to show off his new do.

So these had to be put up for all to see. My baby boy- the little brother- soon to be big brother who has captured my heart, and made me so happy, and proud.

I love you little foot.

December comes but once a year

2012-01-13T23:54:00.000-08:00

My favorite time of year is October, November, December. Particularly December. To me these months are crazy! They are jam-packed with different things to do, places to go, people to see. AND I LOVE IT! To me these months are full of memory making opportunities. So tonight's post covers 53 photos- 53 memories. :) Oh there are at least 500 more pictures I can upload if you don't think we have enough. :)

Saw this great photo idea on pinterest... he-he that baby was eating the lights like mine though.

Theirs was so perfect in it's lighting, and idea. I think mine is perfect in it's real life sense.

We spent a night as a family at our local zoo- they do a light walk

There's a carousel. :)

and a train ride

This picture captures what Carson thinks of the train tride.

It was a great night out together.

For those of you not aware California is still 70 degrees in December. So we needed some ice cream during our shopping.

This was Silas' first trip

hmmmm

attack!!!!

Attach back!

Current weigh ins- Carson 24 lbs 8 ounces; 33 inches long Silas- 24 lbs 5 ounces; 27 1/2 in. So wrestling is a pretty even match. :)

he really is a cutie

They both are.

I just cant even believe how blessed we are. A house, a home, where family and love abide. Its amazing! God is so good- so very good! Christmas is the best time to praise Him, and thank Him. His goodness, his grace, and His gift.

Keeping with tradition I put the Christmas pictures together with a poem.


Twas the night before Christmas,

Our Carson was mellow,

And Silas was quite a happy fellow

There was great food, and our tummy's were full

The presents were opened and this one was cool

A basketball which got thrown all over

I think Silas got tired of being the rover

And soon very soon the night came to an end

And sleep did the bottle to Silas send

But Santa had plans after the boys went to sleep

And in the morning when their eyes did peep

It was Christmas morning- There was much to do

Open the presents and play with all things new

Doing this -- Carson had so much fun

From Silas- a shirt that says as a brother he's number one

Each gift opened brought laughter and squeals

Clothes, movies, puzzles, books, balls

and hot wheels

Our Christmas was more wonderful than words could ever say

I hope that these pictures that did display (Carson made this- so funny)

We are so blessed and so happy together


Whether a sunny day or colder weather						(Note to Carson- Do not leave your popsicle laying around near Silas, note to self- do not leave SIlas anywhere in the near vicinity of a popsicle unattended)

Sometimes were dressed up

Sometimes we just play

And laughter throughout each day

But there are smiles

The Lord has a plan and a purpose in all

And we really are just having a ball.

Now were sorta caught up, but there is some more
Soon to come cause right now my eyes are sore. :)

Whats been going on.....

2011-12-29T15:57:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas this year was so wonderful and so much fun, and I cannot wait to blog all about it...... Next week. :) In the meantime.... Here are some pictures taken in the last couple weeks around our house. These were all just too much fun.... so I wanted to share/save them.

Eating licorice.... The whole thing has to go in....

One of Carson's favorite things right now is football/baseball..... He even says these words very clearly. Now before you ask..... He still grunts or squawks if you ask him to say mommy. But football and baseball are key words.... Any way this is him playing football with the baseball. :) He's tackling it. He will do this for hours. Sometimes I swear he even says huh huh hike.

Silas has started standing!! Well instead of exclamation points I mean AAAHHHHHH.

He is into EVERYTHING!!!!! He started crawling and standing right at the same time..... Within hours of each other. SERIOUSLY! This has made for one crazy little monkey, and one very tired mommy.

This train set was a birthday present. My heart melted to see daddy and Carson playing together.

Lots of eating has taken place..... But still no teeth on this little man. ???????

Sledding was on our Winter bucket list...But no snow in sunny CALI. so we sledded indoors. :)


TOO FUNNY

and were all caught up :)

2011-12-22T22:51:00.000-08:00

Oma came to visit!!!!!! Yay!!! Wish she were here again. :)
Opa came too but he's too skinny for you to see in the picture.

Silas celebrated his first Thanksgiving!! Here he is playing with some mashed potatoes.

He did not want them to get away :) It was all business from here on out. Turkey, stuffing, ham, green beans, rolls. The boy ate and ate. I didnt get any more pictures because if I stopped feeding him for a healf second he squawked at me.

An adorable puppet show put on by cousins.

When we go to Aunt Jo's house we ride something... well mostly. :) He-he that was a reminder to you Cody

YA Let's go! The jeep had no power so there was no moving and no danger

We can fly too!

Silas' first Thanksgiving round 2 (theres another couple of pics I cant get to upload- will try again tomorrow.)

Picking out our Christmas tree- I wanted this one.

We ended up with this one. :)

hmmm????

What is this? I tried to eat it and it bit me.

Church Nursery :) They would both laugh hysterically at each other for no apparent reason. Too funny.

Silas joined in on the laughing too.


And the part I wish I could ignore. Carson's first MRI. Oh ps. This floor passed my clean test. :) and got approved to be crawled on... Thumbs up Neuro's office. :) Carson had his first MRI. The results were exactly what I had expected and hoped not to hear. He does indeed have a tethered spinal cord. ( Easy explanation----- Scar tissue has built up around Carson's back scar. This has basically caused his spinal cord to be stretched. It also has caused his Cerebral Spinal Fluid to be hindered from flowing freely, He has developed cavities of fluid. This can cause further damage, and may inhibit progress) We are unsure at this time about what we are going to do, surgery is how a tethered cord is corrected. The tricky part is making that call. If he is not demonstrating symptoms then we would wait to do surgery. But maybe his lack of progress is a result of this ???????? AHHHHH I hate not knowing----- we return for a follow-up MRI in March. At that point we will probably make the call. Please be praying for that appt.

Despite all that news---- Carson did fantastic through his MRI!!!!! He is such a champ

OK so in summary! We are blessed and so very thankful for both of our boys and each and every day that we get to spend making memories. Every day is a memory. And every day is a blessing. Some days those memories mean that we face some hard stuff but that doesnt mean that it's not frosted with joy Just like this picture above --- while we were discussing his MRI. I'm sitting in the chair staring at a screen, trying to take all the info. in. I look down at Carson playing and laughing. - This is what our life is. Its crazy, its unpredictable, it's scary, it's wonderful, and it's so much fun.

Love, and MERRY CHRISTMAS from our family to yours!!!

Catching up- Birthday Party!!!!

2011-12-19T16:36:00.000-08:00

Carson's Birthday party was a blast and I only cried twice. :) We did a Thomas theme and Carson got to use his halloween costume for his party. It was so perfect!!! The day was great. Spent with good friends and family celebrating our amazing and perfect little man.

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, My Carson, Happy Birthday to you!

The cake was so good!

This is Carson's therapist and her family decorating train cookies! We consider them great friends!

Our adorable buddy! He was winking. :)

This is a build- a- bear (monkey) in a wheelchair!!!!!! This was where the tears came out. It is so sweet

I opened the presents

And Carson got so excited each time

He would smile and then just laugh. :)

The adults got to play a game which included some pretty funny responses.

Thank you to all who joined us and sent sweet wishes for a happy birthday. It was a great time.

getting caught up. :)

2011-12-13T16:58:00.000-08:00

Hi there!
Hello there!!
Howdy!!!!

Its been a while and I have a lot of catching up and splainin to do :) I have been trying for 3 days now to get a big post put together that recounts the last month. It has been unsuccessful, and for some crazy reason it takes me about 5 mins to load 2 pictures. I cannot just skip the pictures. :) and I cannot get all those pictures to upload so I am going to have to do this the harder. longer way. :) We will take it one step at a time.

Carson turned 2.... yep it happened. Regardless of how I felt about it... it happened. The boy is now 2. All of a sudden it just kinda happened and now I dont think he is ever going to stop getting older. :)

We had hoped to be able to head out of town and maybe do Disney but that didnt work out and it ended up being a rainy day. And just kinda one of those days where everyone seems a little off, even my camera and I didnt get good pictures. :( We stayed home, and played. :)

He has a cookie in his mouth. :)

How we both feel about him turning 2.... Well his was more sad because I told him he had to wait before he could have another cookie.

Everytime I asked him how old he was he would say 1- when I told him and showed him 2 he would squawk at me and shake his head.

Dear Carson-
Happy 2nd birthday sugar. I love you more than words could ever say. You are so special and so wonderful to me. STOP GROWING THOUGH. It seems like just yesterday you were a wee little guy and you would make all those silly little faces figuring things out. You snuggled so tight, and you ate everything. It happened too fast...... I am so proud of you, and am so very blessed to me your mommy. I love it when you get excited at things and wave your arms in the air. I love your smile, when you start dancing, and how you eat 3 yogurts a day and still ask for more. Right now your favorite things are balls, and caillou. Oh well, anything that would be considered a dessert is top priority too. :) You hate bedtime, and you still hate diaper changes (here's a secret I do too) You are a wonderful big brother, and Silas adores you. I love how you pretend to laugh to make him laugh... and then how we all end up laughing because its just too funny and too wonderful of a moment. I love you I love you I love you!!!!! I pray for you everyday baby boy. I pray that you will grow in strength and wisdom. I hope that you will be sweet, kind, patient, strong, and Godly. The Lord has a special plan and purpose for you. It may not always be easy, hunny, but it will always be what's best. You were created by him uniquely, and you were given to us so that we could see His love and His goodness. I hope that this next year is the best one yet. Happy Birthday!!!!! Oh, and ps. If you need me call me... no matter where you are.... and keep on shining your little light.... don't hide it under a bushel.

I will do a separate post about his party. Those pictures are on the memory card that I cant get loaded correctly. AAAHHHH This technology stuff. Here are just a few more pictures...

7 months old

just had to get one of these for future embarrassment :)

Old West day at church- seriously he was adorable!!!

Birthday eve

2011-11-10T21:40:00.000-08:00

I'll be honest with you- Today was a bad day. A very bad day.

Today is the day before Carson turns 2.

The day started out badly and just got worse. Silas was sick, and fussy. Carson entered the scene fussy. Both only wanted to be held and both would not allow me any moment of rest. Tantrums began after lunch and continued until the evening. I think that all in all there were about 10. It was bad.

As hard as I tried I just couldnt get myself to not be upset. And it wasnt even that I was so upset with Carson. I was furious today at a condition that we like to call SB. Spina bifida was my nemesis today. Now let me say that praise the Lord we didnt deal with any spina bifida problems today... per say. I think that I figured out Carson's grumpiness during one of his tantrums. He had his mouth open wide enough for me to catch the glimpse of molars. Me hating teeth is a whole nother post. They are awful too, but today my heart just hurt and it hurt deep because of spina bifida.

I want so badly to say that I have overcome this trial. That I am better than it. I want to tell you that it's fine... I know that the Lord is in control. I know that this is all a part of His great plan in our lives. I know that. And I know God is good. He has been so good to us through this trial. I know that these yucky tears and fears will not last long. They will quickly and soon be forgotten and we will move on.

On one hand I am so excited that Carson is turning two. This next stage (minus the terrible tantrums) has me so excited. There is more interaction, and more communication. Carson lately has been singing, and dancing. He chats with me although I don't quite get it. We read together, play together, he tickles me, he gives me hugs, he drives, :) he bats a ball, he races a car, flys a plane, colors. There's so much that he can do now that he could not do just a year ago. I looked through pictures of this year- WOW. He has turned into a little boy.... sometime around the end of summer it just happened- BAM. I saw baby then boy emerge.

Today I kept thinking and hurting though. Spina Bifida.... Do you have to be here?? Why are you here? How do I get you leave?? Leave us alone and never come back. I don't really like you. As Carson gets older I have more fears about you. More unanswered questions, and I can't help but cry. I found out what you were just over two years ago, and I'm learning more and more that we are better than you. We can overcome you, and we don't have to be sad about you. I just want you to "take that" and take a hike. Can you?

This is my baby

Well my boy...

Tomorrow he turns 2

And we are going to celebrate!!! We are going to party!

He is so wonderful to me. So perfect and so amazing. He has made my life more joyful, and more meaningful. He makes me laugh harder than anyone. He hugs me, and wraps his arms around my actual heart. I can't get enough of him, and I can't think of anyone that I am more proud of. He is strong, just ask him and he will flex and so you those giant muscles. Take that Spina Bifida.

You thought you had us here

But we have got you here

and here

I could go on and on. I've got over 8,000 pictures of this boy, and millions and millions of blessings to count. Happy almost birthday sugar. I love you soooooo very much!

The end of awareness???

2011-11-01T16:59:00.000-07:00

We have come to the end of October. This is now November. National Spina Bifida awareness is over....

However, every day I am made aware of spina bifida....

Every day something reminds me of how real it is...

Some days that may mean that personally we fight it...

Some days sweet friends of mine fight it...

Some days we just cry...

Some days we rejoice...

Every day is a new day, and every day brings it's own trials, and triumphs.

Please continue to spread awareness... Please continue to remember us... Pray for us.

I have many more ideas that I did not get to squeeze into my series last month dedicated to awareness.I even still have a few more cuties to feature.

So Let's keep it going.....

Trick or Treat

2011-10-31T22:58:00.000-07:00

Tonight was our first time taking Carson out trick-or- treating. It was so much fun and he was just too adorable. He was even saying trick or treat as he realized that doing so meant candy! So starting tomorrow I will hide behind the door with a bucket of candy and teach him to say Mama- then shower him with candy... :) worth a try, right? He was the best dressed costume out there tonight. I'm so proud of him! Happy Trick or treat everyone!!!

Let's go Let's go

Ya, I could do this all night....

enjoying the goods

Spina Bifida awareness- What I know now.

2011-10-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

I was asked a series of questions - Well honestly I was grilled--- by a friend of mine who wanted to put together a Spina Bifida post for her blog. Here is our interview.....

How far into your pregnancy were you when the doctor informed you there was a problem with Carson?

---- 32 weeks

Did he actually say there was a problem, or just indicate a need for further testing on your baby and what was your initial reaction to this?

---My Ob detected what he thought to be a cyst on myself- possibly a ovarian or uterine cyst. He said those are fairly routine but I can’t rule out for certain that the cyst is not on the baby so I am going to send you for further testing.

What was your immediate reaction to being told Carson has Spina Bifida?

---- shocked, scared, sad, mad, hurt, confused, couldn’t breathe.

Do you recall if you noticed, at the time, what your husbands’ reaction was?

----Pretty much the same as mine.

I know you did internet research into Spina Bifida after learning Carson has it. What was your emotional state as you learned what it was and what it could entail for him?

----Some info, helped me relax while other info scared me for. It was a Russian roulette game with info.

I know you’re both Christians, do you feel your relationship with God was affected by these circumstances that were occurring at the time?

-----I would say that I’ve realized more how much He is in control and not me.

What about your marriage relationship, how was it affected at the time?

---- we have a very strong relationship and this really didn’t seem to help/hinder. We just stuck together, leaned on each other, cried together, prayed together, but also laughed together and focused on what really mattered.

I know when Carson was born, they insisted on a C-Section birth in order to reduce as much trauma to his little body and spine as possible, were you able to see him immediately after his birth?

---- It was about an hour after his birth before I was able to see him. He went straight to the NICU and I was transported to recovery. I did’nt think I would get to see him till the next day since he was to be transported immediately to Childrens… I had to stay at Hollywood Pres. for 24 hours and recover. However, while I was in the recovery room I overheard the nurses talking. One nurse kept asking about moving me out into my room … she said I was ready and they needed the spot in the recovery for another patient. This other nurse adamantly told her that I was not moving anywhere till I got to see my baby. He was on his way to see me and if we were waiting. I quickly called out to her and ask if I had heard her correctly. She said, oh honey yes, you are gonna see your baby. I squealed!!!! Sure enough about 30 mins later they wheeled him into the room. He was in a transport incubator. I cried with joy. He was so perfect. They let me reach my hand into the hole and touch him. I just stroked his face over and over and prayed for him. They stayed for probably five minutes then he had to transfer. It was amazing!!!!

Do you recall your emotional state at that particular time?

-----overwhelmed…. so many emotions I can’t even explain it. Joy, wonder, anticipation, fear, love, exhaustion,….

Did you, at any time immediately after his birth, consider all the things you and your new family would be facing in dealing with Carson’s Spina Bifida? Can you tell us some of what was going through your mind at the time?

-----Not really. His birth and seeing him made me just want to see him more, hold him, and take him home. I was worried about him in some ways but also just felt a perfect peace that God was taking care of him.

I know that there have been some physical difficulties for Carson, he had a broken leg immediately at birth and it’s broken a couple of times since then. How fragile are his bones at this time? Is he able to bear weight on them, yet?

---- His bones are fragile, how fragile is unknown exactly but we have to be very careful. Weight- bearing actually strengthens the bones so we currently do about 30 mins 3 times a week in a mobile stander. The more the better!!!! This is why we need to get his braces so badly. He needs more standing time, but currently he requires a supine stander in order to do that. We cant afford to purchase one so I have to take him to therapy and do that, and that’s limited for time.

How much time do you have to spend on a daily basis to work on Carson’s physical therapy; getting him to get up on his knees, working on his crawling, whatever other exercises the therapists have given you for him. And, how much more difficult is this when you have another son who’s 6 months old and probably beginning to think about mobility, himself?

---- this is hard to answer. Each day is different… Part of that is having a 6 month old, and part of that is just daily schedule. Also some days Carson seems willing to work and other days he just doesn’t. I’ve learned when to push him and when not to push him. pick my battles- I guess. I’d say on average we spend 1-2 hours a day on physical therapy activities.

Give me your best piece of advice for women facing the birth of a “disabled” child and name three web-sites you think would be good places for them to go for support and/or information.

----It’s gonna be fine. Your baby is a precious, amazing, and special gift. There’s nothing that is going to change that. Love is not based upon physical expectation. Do not grieve or fear, just trust in the Lord and His plan. Don’t lose sight of the great blessings you do have. Cherish them, and search for everyday wonders, and miracles.

---- As far as websites go it would depend upon your unique situation. There are online support groups for everything now of days. I recommend finding friends who understand your situation… it’s been one of my biggest blessings and comforts.

Try babycenter.com, facebook, or Parents.com.

Spina Bifida awareness- faces

2011-10-27T23:00:00.000-07:00

Greyson - 2-1/2 years old

funny

loving

smart

curious

determined

adorable

mischievous...(notice the SITTING on the walker...not cool Grey) :)

This little boy has touched my heart in so many ways. He is amazing!!!! He is also adorable! I've seen him in person on two occasions. Both times I wanted to just squeeze him, pinch him, tickle him... I was so overwhelmed with awe. I felt like I was in the presence of a celebrity. This is Greyson- the grey. I was nervous around him. :) Poor guy just thought I was crazy. I am crazy.... Crazy over how wonderful he is. One of the very first spina bifida kids I ever met was Greyson. He was just a few months old at the time. I fell in love with him. He brought me so much peace and so much comfort. I thought wow- he's adorable. Spina Bifida is not so bad.... this baby is perfect. Bob and I spent hours and hours reading the blog and looking at their sweet pictures. Greyson also has brought me so so much hope. He and Carson are fairly similar in their Spina Bifida diagnosis. I have seen this little man accomplish things that I know are supposed to impossible. Look at him in this picture!!!!!! I watch him- slightly stalk him- and smile with pride. He's Carson's role model... Carson just doesn't understand that yet. :)

Tonight I also want to feature another cutie... This is a pretty new cutie.

                   Meet Gage- he is happy, very social, and a total flirt :)

    He is almost 5 months old, and is currently in excellent health! Gage had his closure and shunt surgeries after birth and has since had 2 revisions. 3rd shunt is a charm!! He has ACII which is showing mild symptoms, but they are currently under control. He is cathed twice a day, and VCUG results showed we can likely stop after next uro check up. 
He is a very social baby with lots of smiles and the most contagious laugh. He is a favorite among nurses at the children's hospital and can light up any room. He likes to flirt and make his presence known. He rolled over for the first time yesterday, which marked his first real milestone (almost right on time!) He works really hard and we can't wait to watch him grow and achieve future milestones. We love him to pieces :)

This little guy just melts my heart.... what a chunk of cuteness right? He's only a little guy but he has already had some "Take That Spina Bifida moments" I look forward to seeing what he's gonna do this year! In my opinion he's unstoppable!

These are the last two kiddos that I have for my faces of spina bifida.... If I missed your child please email me. I'd love to feature more. Scasmflip@hotmail.com

Spina Bifida awareness

2011-10-26T22:56:00.000-07:00

He's so silly and loves to make you laugh

We are coming to the close of our spina bifida awareness project. Just a few days left ( but these next few days will hold some pretty cool suprises- so keep looking here. ) It is my hope that you now realize a little more about what spina bifida is to us, what it means, and how it affects us. I hope that I have answered some questions and helped to better inform you. I feel that the best way to redefine spina bifida is to let people know what it really is.... The truth about it. It is a condition that has affected Carson's body. It does mean that we see more doctors, have therapy, and need to do some adaptations. BUT to me, to us as a family, Spina Bifida is merely just part of our life. It's not the biggest part in any way... just a sidenote. It is my greatest hope that we might have a part in helping others who also journey down our road. I want to be a blessing and an encouragement. I want them to know that they are not alone and that joy really is a part of our journey.Our day to day is completely average and we are regular joes. This last week we went to see Disney on Ice, made a trip to the pumpkin patch, made cupcakes, watched Thomas and Mickey Mouse way too much, played ball, did laundry, changed diapers, brushed our teeth, .... you know normal things. lol. Our life did change completely when we had a child join us.... COMPLETELY. And when we were told that Carson had spina bifida I grieved as if I had lost him. It affected me in a way that is really hard to explain, but I thought I was losing my dream to have a child, and do all those things that you do with children.... I was so wrong.

Always grinning


And eating

Very much a boy


Loves boy things- Cars, trains, balls, remote controls.

He's very Mischievous too.

Pretty stinkin cute though. :)


A ladies man...... The boy has girlfriends lined up...... ps. also notice the food in his mouth and reference earlier picture (always eating)

And a adventure :)

If I could go back to diagnosis day and be able to know what I know now- see this little boy smile, hear his laugh, watch him grow, and hold him close..... I never would have worried or doubted. I never would have grieved losing him. Him being diagnosed with spina bifida is not a loss of anything. He is everything and so much more that I dreamed of... He's amazing! He teaches me what life really is, and what really matters. He makes me thankful, so thankful for things that I never even thought of. Things I would have otherwise taken for granted. I love him.... He's my miracle.

Spina Bifida awareness- The most important one.

2011-10-23T22:06:00.000-07:00

I have not posted in a few days.... Our household has been sick. I did not want to miss this one though. If there is any thing that I would like to encourage you to do for those of us on the journey with spina bifida it is to pray for us. There are so many miracles that we see through the power of prayer. Our God is so good, and so faithful. Please join us!!! Wherever you are please join us. I believe that as a collective group our prayer time will be 12:00 Pacific time but It might be Eastern time. :) either way please pray!!! When you get a chance take some time and specifically pray.

We proclaim October 24 as the 2011 Spina Bifida Day of Prayer. October is Spina Bifida Awareness Month, and there is much to pray for in the Spina Bifida community. Please pass this on to your Facebook friends, church groups, prayer circles, coworkers, families, and anyone who believes in the power of prayer

Let us pray together. Here are a few suggestions for your prayers:

1. Awareness. Spina Bifida is the most common permanently disabling birth defect in the United States, yet no one knows what it is. (What is Spina Bifida? http://kidshealth.org/parent/system/ill/spina_bifida.html) We pray for the Spina Bifida Association and its chapters to create a unified and effective message of hope and help. And we pray that society would see people with Spina Bifida and other disabilities as valued citizens.

2. The medical community. We pray that the medical community would understand the birth defect and its related issues. We pray that obstetricians would be educated about Spina Bifida and will give expectant parents the diagnosis accurately and compassionately. We pray for continued research and medical advancements to improve the lives of children and adults with Spina Bifida, to find ways of preventing Spina Bifida, and to find a cure.

3. The parents. We pray for the parents who find out their unborn child has Spina Bifida, that you would give them hope and peace beyond all understanding to make the decision to give life. (64% of pregnancies affected by Spina Bifida are terminated.) We pray for the parents who watch their children (young and old) struggle with the challenges of Spina Bifida, that they would be given the strength they need to get through each day and the wisdom to raise their children as you want them to be raised.

4. Children and adults with Spina Bifida. We pray that you would make them lights in a dark world, to be instruments of your divine purpose and will. We pray for their physical wellness, but also for them to use the challenges you gave them to bring you glory.

I'd like to add a few more specific prayer requests for our family.

1. Pray for Carson's body. Each day I ask the Lord that He would protect his body and heal his body. I ask that the Lord would strengthen his legs and heal his legs.... Increase his function and use.

2. Pray for Carson's spirit. I also pray that Carson would have a sweet, and Godly spirit. I pray that the Lord would work in and through Him for His glory. I pray that Carson would grow into a Godly young man who seeks to serve and please the Lord in his life.

3. Pray for Carson's care... There are so many decisions that we make on a daily basis in regards to Carson's therapy, or medical care. Please pray that we would have wisdom to make the right and best decisions.

"Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. " - Matthew 18:19-20

To someone special

2011-10-18T00:03:00.000-07:00

I interrupt my series on spina bifida to make a very very important announcement.

It's Bob's 36th birthday!!!!!!
I'll let the boys take it from here.