It's Been a While....

It's been over a year since I felt the urge and had the time to blog. Maybe it's not my thing, or maybe it's just that our family has been extremely busy and life has been a wee bit complicated lately. Regardless, here's the latest from the Beaver household: Ava turned a year old in December and has proved to me and her daddy why we weren't given any boys. There is no way there could have been a boy more mischevious or more like her daddy than Ava- it's just not possible! Emma is now in the 3rd grade and Kayla is in 7th. They have grown up before our eyes and with it has come lots of changes, arguments, new attitudes but more joy than we could have ever asked for. I am truely proud of my girls! My Mom started experiencing some problems with swallowing at the beginning of this year and what we thought was a minor problem ended up being the diagnosis of esophageal cancer in March of this year. She has undergone radiation, chemo, surgery and will be facing more tests & possibly more treatments/surgery in the near future. She will be going to Duke for a 2nd opinion and hopefully for some answers to all our questions next week. Throughout her treatments and days of ups and downs she has remained positive and my inspiration. She never complains and always says it could be worse and God has a reason for all of this. Robbie is almost 2 months into his 9 month deployment. He is doing good and continues to be my rock even though he is 1000s of miles away. I look forward to my time on skype with him b/c whether I've had the best of days or worst of days he is always there for me and supports and encourages me even when I'm the one here and he's the one deployed. I want to brag on my husband. He is an amazing man and his unwavering love & faith has helped me so much through this last few months. He does his job overseas every day without complaining when I know every day is aggravating and just simply not "home". He does all this and still makes time to call or skype with me and make sure the girls and I are ok and let us know we are loved. I could not have ever looked at this day from 15 years ago and told you this is where we would have been but I am so extremely blessed and even in the hard times it only makes me love him more. I left my job at the bank at the end of May in order to prepare for Robbie's deployment, be with my girls more and to be there for Mom. Little did I know that in the next few weeks things would get even harder and God was just preparing me for what was in store. I had an accident early on the morning I was suppose to fly out to Texas for one last visit with Robbie before he flew out for overseas. I fell at a friend's house on water from my car's a/c and unfortunately broke my knee cap. I was able to go ahead on the trip after my friend took me to the ER and we made our first journey together to wish our husbands off. It was a great trip and thankfully Robbie was allowed to come home a few days later to get me through surgery and settled back at home. A week later he left, and I was lost. I'm currently in my 6th week after surgery and though I'm dreading my next appt I am hoping to start physical therapy and start on the road back to life before crutches! The day after my surgery, Mom was suppose to have her surgery to remove her tumor in her esophagus, but we unfortunately received more bad news. Surgery was delayed b/c of an in-operable tumor found on her aorta. She is back home now and taking things a day at a time until her appt at Duke. We know the Lord can work miracles and he is the great physician. I do ask though that you would please keep Mom and Dad in your prayers and that God have his will. There are many other things that have happened within our families but even with all the obstacles and challenges that we face, we want to praise the Lord for his mercy and grace on us. I am thankful for my family, for my friends and for the days that make you look back and see how blessed we truely are.

Here is a pic of our family at the Yellow Ribbon Ceremony held in Taylorsville a few weeks before Robbie left.