October 29, 2006

It's a girl! Arianna Faith Hale arrived on the 15th at 7:26 am. She weighed 6 lbs 4.1 oz and was 19" long. She is so beautiful and the perfect completion to our family. Brayden is doing very well and is getting into everything. I now officially have my hands full. School is in full swing and Lexi is again on the Volleyball team. She is enjoying playing and rooting on the boys in football. Thankfully she still thinks of the boys as friends, if that. Awana has also started. Brian and I are both leaders for the 3-6 grade T&T, but Lexi has graduated to the Jr. High Trek team and is having a ball! Mom is still struggling with her health and chemo treatments. She ended up taking a medical leave at the end of September. Many of her co-workers were amazed she held on as long as she did. Her positive attitude is fading since she hasn't had that interaction from work. Being stuck in her own home without any adult interaction has really taken a toll. I have tried to pick up the slack some by inviting her to lunch a couple of times a month. I should be doing more, but there never seems to be enough time in the day, week, etc.

Andi

September 29, 2006

As if the server crash and Mom's sickness wasn't enough. Steph decided to join the list. My sister was admitted to the hospital on the 4th with pain ans swelling in the stomach area. So Mom went to Denver and spent the week with her in the hospital. She was diagnosed with liver disease and auto-immune disease. They put her on the liver transplant list, but it isn't necessary yet. So long as she takes care of herself. Mom is feeling weaker after every treatment. We expected it though. She is in good spirits now. We were able to attend the Panhandle Evangelical Womens Retreat (PEW) in Chadron on the 15th-17th. I was even able to take my friend, Karen, our pastor's wife. It rejuvinated us all. But it may be the last year they do this, unless someone can step up to the plate and take it over. I would hate to see this opportunity gone and another era passing in my life. Lexi turned 13 on the 22nd of this month! Wow, I can't believe it's been that long. She is so great. I don't know if we are brave or loosing our minds taking on teenagers and toddlers at the same time, but wish us luck.

Andi

August 20, 2006

The pregnancy has gone well, although I am growing much bigger than I did with either Lexi or Brayden. I ended up getting a cervical circulage at the end of June to prevent early delivery because I have been diagnosed with an incompetant cervix. I have already made it past the gestation Brayden was at, so it's already served it's purpose. We were able to get a 3-D ultrasound and it was so cool! Arianna is beautiful. I am helping with the PEW retreat again this year. Hopefully I will be able to attend. I sure do miss going.

Andi

July 29, 2006

Despite all our trouble with the server, we spent the week of the Fourth of July with my brother Adam and his family in Charles City, Iowa. We had a wonderful time and even got some work done while we were there. That is one of the blessings of this business. As long as we have an internet connection, our laptop and a phone, we can work from just about anywhere. Mom has had two chemo treatments and is doing better than expected. She feels quite tired and worn the day after, but by day three, she is strong enough to go back to work. The Dr's have her on a three week schedule. Please keep her in your prayers. Lexi and Nia have been such great sports through all the server issues. We haven't been able to spend anough time with them, but they have helped with Brayden and the house so we can get caught up.We are so blessed to have two such wonderful daughters! On top of everything else, this week was also VBS. I ended up being the director and have felt unprepared and unskilled in this area. I volunteered before I knew about my pregnancy or the server problems, so of course, those issues have distracted me in this new endevor. But God was in it all, because I had lots of help and we had a great attendance. I love helping, but next year I hope someone else takes the leadership position.

Andi

June 17, 2006

ACK! As if one trial isn't enough. Now we have to deal with the server. On June 7, hackers attacked our server and the host company shut us down. We now have the massive job of rebuilding each and every one of our website from the ground up. Our code needs to be redone, so this will be a big learning curve for me. Mom's first chemo treatment is this week, so keep praying for strength and endurance. Everyone at her work has been so supportive and helpful, thank God! Well, gotta go. We have a lot to do!

Andi

May 20, 2006

Yesterday, Mom had surgery to remove her right breast. The surgery went fine and they only found 1 of the ten lymph nodes contained any trace of malignancy. That means very little spread. There will still be a series of chemo treatments though. This month has also brought some blessings along with the trials. God sure does have a sense of humor. I have had several complaints in the last few months and all Brian could say was "It's Arianna's fault". Implying I was pregnant. But I just couldn't believe it. On the 16th I went to the chirporactor and he needed to take x-rays. I guess I have been in denial for the last several months. I saw something in the x-ray that I didn't expect. I am now 4 & 1/2 months pregnant. We are due on October 23. Because of my age, the premature birth of Brayden and the short time span since he was born, they consider me high-risk. The Dr's will be watching me much closer this time. Please continue to pray for Mom and Dad. They still have a long road, at least 6 months.

Andi

April 28, 2006

This has been quite the three months! For over 4 weeks from the end of February to the middle of March, our home was infected with a nasty viral flu of some kind. Brian and Lexi both got over it within about a week, although Brian had quite a fever for a couple of days. However, mine drug on for almost 2 weeks with one symptom after another. I didn't feel 'myself' for another week after my symptoms were gone. What a way to start of the new year, huh? The AWANA quiz and AWANA games both were a big success. We ended up with 1st place ribbons in both events. Lexi did a wonderful job in the Sing Across Nebraska even though she still had the sore throat. I was so proud of her. A couple of my past Camp Fire members, Judy Belford and Elizabeth Milay were also chosen for the honor choir. They have all grown so much! Speaking of Camp Fire, the Platte Valley Council has chosen to disolve at the end of this school year. They just can't get enough adults to work with the kids. Times sure have changed. Regardless, the fun times had and the lessons learned will always be with us. Because the council is selling the building, we are also having to move our office again. We will be located on Main Street in Gering. We are excited for the new space and it will be easier for our clients to find us too. Lexi started track this year and is enjoying it, but none of us are convinced that it is 'her sport' yet. She is running the 75m and the 100m sprints and the 400m relay. She says that she is having fun, but she doesn't appear to be as dedicated as she is with softball. Regardless, it will help with her base running this summer. The GHS musical is over and the kids did a wonderful job. Bye Bye Birdie was very enjoyable. It was good to be done, but it was bittersweet. We had fun, but it was also Mr. Duane Stukesbury's last perofrmance. He will be retiring at the end of this year to move closer to his grandkids. Stukes, thank you for everything and enjoy the next chapter in your life. Brayden has been growing like a weed. The last three months he has gained about a pound each month. He is now 17 lb 3.5 oz and doing great. The Dr. said that he is in the 50th percentile (not adjusting for his pre-term age). That is great considering he was 3 months early! What a joy and blessing he is! Thank you God! Today we had some life-changing news. Mom found a lump in her breast and the Dr.'s found that it is about 4in in diameter. It is malignant and they plan on doing a maestectomy. We are now asking again for your prayers. Mom, of course, is still joyful, claiming God is in control an He knows what He is doing. Yes Mom, God does have a plan for this trial as well. I will try to keep you updated as we hear more, but for now, please pray for the Dr.'s wisdom, Mom's strength, Dad's support and God's intervention.

Andi

January 31, 2006

Bryaden is 6 months old now! Wow, how time flies. He just discovered his toes today, he's sitting with very little back support and doesn't throw a fit immediately when he is placed on his stomach. So I guess he's progressing fine and showing an attitude to boot! Lexi finished her volleyball season. She enjoyed every minute of it. She is taking voice lessons this year and is execling there as well. She made a plege to KLOVE, so she is now earning money by helping us with data entry on the computer. It makes her feel a part of the business too. We missed not having Nia here for the holidays, but she said she had a great time. Maybe next year. She turned 11 this month. Happy Birthday Nia! I started directing the GHS musical again this year. It's hard to imagine that this is my 11th year helping. We are doing BYE, BYE BIRDIE, a parody on Elvis. It's a lot of fun! Speaking of birthdays, Brian turned 40 this year. He still has the heart of a kid and I love him for it. Brian and I are still AWANA leaders and loving it. Brian is gearing up for the big AWANA Games in March and Quiz Bowl is this Friday. Hope we have a good showing.

Andi