our big 4 year old....

Hudson Graham,

You are growing up too quickly! We can't believe that you are four today! Wow! Where does the time go? It seems like it was just yesterday when we brought our "baby" home from the hospital. You are such a joy to us! You are funny, you are goofy, and you make us laugh a ton. You are our shy guy. You don't like to be the center of attention, and you are ALL BOY. It's fun to watch you run around outside! You love the dogs, and you are gentle with animals! You really enjoy acting like a puppy or a kitty, and you love cars and Legos. You really love to play anything that "big brother" is playing. You two love each other and can be so sweet to one another. Of course, you definitely have some moments of sibling rivalry as well. Hudson...we love watching you grow in your relationship with the Lord. You say some awesome prayers and you ask us all kinds of questions about God. It's so fun to watch you try to figure things out. You are very determined and when you want something- you get it done! You are so silly, and everyone tells us how handsome you are. We love you, Peanut Butter! We hope your 4th birthday is super special!

Love, Mom and Dad

a fantastic father's day

on father's day, we went to church and then to one of our favorite restaurants (jagerhaus) for breakfast. after that, we headed to disneyland! we made it to downtown disney and saw a bunch of booths advertisting for ridemakerz. the store had just reopened and they had all sorts of fun advertising/events. the boys got tattoos, drove some remote control cars, and then begged us to take them to the store.

ridemakerz is a store where you "build your ride." the store was soooo crowded, but we (surprisingly) didn't have to wait in many lines. the boys each picked out a car (it was buy one, get one free day....though they didn't bother to mention that that pretty much only included the car itself...NOT all of the accessories-until we were up at the register.) then, the boys picked out wheels, rims, decals, etc. and we went to work....building their rides! josh had fun, too. i mean, it was some serious "boy heaven" in there!

chip foose, from the show overhaulin', was there to sign autographs. fireball tim was also there signing. bryson walked straight up to both of them, asked them to sign his car, and then proceeded to talk their ears off...telling them about all of the details of his car!

after we were done at ridemakerz, we hopped on the monorail....rode the matterhorn...hopped back on the monorail....and then headed to my parents house to celebrate with my family. we had a yummy dinner together (the dads picked my mom's famous meatloaf)! it was a fantastic father's day....

the boys had fun building their rides....

daddy enjoyed it, too!

fireball tim was happy to sign b's car!

bryson and chip foose

...great shot that daddy took while we were on the monorail

updates

please continue to pray for brielle and her family. she is in a tremendous amount of pain. please continue to go to www.briellemurray.com for updates. they update throughout the day and list specific prayer requests. right now- brielle needs prayer for her pain. she's not eating enough, so her family is asking that we pray she will eat, too. thank you for your prayers.

"rejoice always, PRAY WITHOUT CEASING, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

-1 thess. 5:16-18

these shoes....

these shoes....

have traveled many miles, both near and far.

these shoes....

are worn by an ambitious husband.

these shoes.....

cover the feet of an excellent father.

these shoes....

provide protection....just like their owner.

these shoes....

have been present for many playful moments.

these shoes....

are tattered and dirty, because a hard worker wears them.

these shoes....

make their owner look sexy.

these shoes....

quietly do their job, much like the man who wears them.

these shoes....

have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly.

these shoes....

have survived harsh conditions.

these shoes....

might be cheap, but they are worn by someone priceless.

these shoes....

can only be filled by one man.

why i love dad....

bryson says:

i love dad because he's nice and he's kind. he's loving and the best dad in the world. he takes me out to places, like boys' night out!

hudson says:

i love dad because he tickles me. he's funny. he always loves me. he always has the best shirts i like! he starts with j-j-josh. he takes me to boys' night out!

happy father's day, dad. we love you!

dad's little dudes....

...had lots of fun decorating daddy's gifts. they colored their very own wrap!

it was very serious business.

bryson made his into dad "candy" (a dad pop)...and made up cool names for flavors!

one happy, little artist...

...the finished products....

happy father's day, dad. we love you.

xoxo

peytie's recital

peyton (our adorable niece) had her very first dance recital last week!

we got to go and watch!

peytie did a great job!!

she followed along so well and she looked sooo cute!

so...this is hudson....who is very manly...and dislikes "all things girl." he hid his face for most of the recital, though he did watch his cousin. little brat....

the girls danced to good ship lollipop

peytie was happy to get flowers after the show!

justin, kel, and peytie pie!

PLEASE keep praying for brielle....

(these updates are straight from brielle's blog. read from the bottom up...and PLEASE pray on her behalf...esp. those of you who are moms...i beg of you to pray. imagine if this was your child! -kristi)

It’s 8:23 AM on Friday, June 18th...

Heidi just arrived at the hospital as Jim and Lisa were with Brielle as she was being wheeled out to have an MRI. At this moment, Brielle is unresponsive, meaning that she is feeling no pain when the doctors try and wake her up. They were able to change her dressing on her head, which was extremely painful for Brielle last night, but this morning it was done without pain medication.

Pray that the MRI will show there is no bleeding in the brain, no leaking of spinal fluid or anything else that would be a problem. Heidi said that Jim and Lisa are at peace, as we have been asking the Lord Jesus to take her pain away, and they believe that is exactly what He has done... He has born her pain upon Himself.

Brielle is breathing oxygen with the aid of a mask, and is not on an aspirator or ventilator. Brielle's heart rate is higher than it was, so that is improving, and we praise God for that. Even we don't understand why B is feeling no pain, that is what we have asked for, so we are trusting God with that.

Thank you for your constant prayers for her complete healing .

It’s 6:17 AM on Friday, June 18th...

Lisa says...

They're doing an EKG right Now checking heart functioning...then taking her to get xray I can barely function head is pounding soooooo tierd

Doing chest xray right now @ 6:31

It’s 5:44 AM on Friday, June 18th...

Lisa Says....

Oxygen mask on pray she can get deeper breaths now flat strait line showing with little bumps need big mountains and valleys showing.... going to get a chest xray doc coming now to check doing little better now...

It’s 5:19 AM on Friday, June 18th...

If anyone is awake and praying for Brielle right now, we ask that you pray for her heart, as her breathing is extremely shallow, causing her heart-rate to be desperately low. She has been given some medication to assist her, and she can be re-incubated with tubes back down her throat, but we are asking for Our Mighty God to blow massive gusts from Heaven into her lungs, and keep her heart beating as it should.

more updates...

**I keep getting updates from Brielle's blog. It's www.briellemurray.com. **

Dear Family and Friends,

It is now 11:30 AM, and Brielle is finished with her MRi. She is now in the process of having the ventilator tubes removed from her throat.

PLEASE PRAY that this procedure will not be painful or frightening for Brielle. She will be awake as the tubes will be removed because she must be able to breathe on her own. Pray that the soreness in her throat will subside soon after the tubes are removed.

In His Care,

Terry & Sally

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

*****************************************************************************

It’ s now 9:30 AM and Brielle is having an MRI...

The doctors concern is that there will be no bleeding in the areas where surgery was performed. The plan will be to remove Brielle’s ventilator tube, within the next hour. They must take Brielle off sedation, and make sure she can breathe by herself, before they can remove the tubes. Pray that her heart will not be anxious for this procedure. With the ventilator removed, it will allow Brielle to be much more comfortable, and to be able to talk. Please pray that her throat will have minimal or no pain, and that the pain medication will be administered correctly today, tonight, and for the remainder of her stay at UCI.

Pray for peace of mind for Jim and LIsa, and for the Lord to refresh them both physically and spiritually. We praise God for Aunt Heidi, who stayed up watching over Brielle all night until 6:00 AM this morning, so that Jim and Lisa could get some sleep, as they were exhausted. We praise God for Heidi’s prayers over B, and for her ability to help with her physical needs and for her to remain calm in the midst of her pain, confusion and fear.

Please continue to pray for Brielle’s recovery from her surgery and for her to be free from pain.

Pray that Brielle will remain trusting of the hospital staff and soft-hearted through this healing process, as she was severely traumatized by last nights events.

Your prayers are so much appreciated, and we are all so grateful for your lovingkindness and encouragement.

GOD IS GOOD!!!!!!...but keep praying!!

We are praising God!

Dear Family and Friends,

It is now 10:30 PM and Lisa and Jim just walked in from the doctor consult with a smile on their face. As they walked into our waiting room, we were in prayer, and listening to “What Faith Can Do” by Kutlass. Lisa walked in and said, “That’s my Song”! They said that the neurosurgeon informed them that he feels they have successfully removed the tumors with a clean margins ! The area around the removal is free of cancerous cells. They had to remove part of her jaw bone because the tumor had invaded that area, but he feels the surgery went as well as they could have hoped. They were able to take a nerve from the ankle area to replace the nerve they had to remove from the right side of her face. In time, the hope is that the nerve will eventually repair itself (in approximately 12 months). It may be that long until Brielle will be able to move her facial muscles. They were able to retrieve fat from her upper leg to help fill the space that the tumor left behind, as well as using a muscle in her neck. They are beginning a very long and intensive reconstructive phase of the surgery so continue to pray that this phase is as promising as the previous phase. Pray for Dr. Kim’s strength and guidance as he delicately connects the blood vessels back together. I marvel at the way we are continually given hope for this precious girl.

Our God is a Healing God, and we praise Him for hearing all our prayers, and being faithful to bring peace and comfort in the midst of this trial.

It’s 6:00 AM, Thursday June 17th...

Just spoke with Heidi, who spent the night next to Brielle. B finally received pain medication at 2:00 AM, and was able to get some rest, but woke every hour, in pain. There was much confusion with the night staff over her meds. Pray that Brielle will receive proper attention and proper medication today, and be free from pain. On a positive note, yesterday, the entire staff at UCI was wonderful, and we praise God for each and every person that was attending to Brielle’s care.

Pray that the events of last night, will be in the past, and Jim and Lisa will be able to relay their concerns so that Brielle will continue in her healing without pain.

update on brielle....keep praying!!

Dear Family and Friends,

It is now 2:35 P.M.

The surgeon has completed the removal of the cancerous portion of the dura (the covering of the brain) and PRAISE GOD, THERE IS NO CANCER IN THE BRAIN. This is great news the best news we could here at this time, and we know it is answer to all our prayers. The lining of the leg muscle was utilized to reconstruct the brain lining (dura). Please refer to the prayer requests listed for today on a previous update or the information sheets handed out in church. Please pray that the surgeons hands would be in God’s hands, and that they they would have supernatural strength and wisdom.

We had a great time of worship again this afternoon as our Pastor Trent Douglass and wife Debbie came to pray and lead us in song. We were encouraged and spiritually refreshed, as we gave all praise, honor and glory to our God, and had a sweet time of prayer.

Jim & Lisa and aunt Heidi are resting now. Please pray that they will be refreshed in their bodies and ready to face what lies ahead.

Dr. Djililian is now beginning to remove the tumor that is located in the area of the temporal bone and wrapped around the facial nerve. Please pray that God would give the surgeons supernatural energy and that He will guide their hands. Pray that the cancer-wrapped nerve would be easily removed, with sufficient margins to insure that all the tumors are removed, and that the harvesting and installation of the replacement nerve will go perfectly. Pray for no serious facial paralysis or jawbone issues as a result of this procedure.

To God be the Glory

Thank you for praying

PLEASE pray for brielle

as i write, brielle is undergoing her third hour of a surgery that is expected to last about 20 hours. brielle has been battling cancer/tumors for the past two and a half years. she is only 12 years old. i beg you to pray on her behalf...especially today....especially right now. brielle's family loves the Lord, and their hope and faith is in Him alone. please. pray.

www.briellemurray.com

"now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

-romans 15:13-

where's waldo? (i mean, hudson)

those of you who know me, know that i don't usually let any room in my house get this out of hand. but, we've been really busy....so i have been shutting the door and forgetting that it looks that bad! (p.s. it's clean now!...today was the day!)

anyhow...the other day, i found hudson....hiding....

do you see him?! okay....he's not that hard to find...

peek a boo....i see you....

pretty pennies buy pretty lips

if you have an extra $22.oo laying around, go ahead and do yourself a favor....

buy some o-gloss by smashbox.

a long time ago, i purchased this stuff and it is amazing!! it feels soooo smooth....and though it goes on clear, "it then reacts with your personal skin chemistry to instantly transform into your own shade of pink." i have had mine for a long time and though it's really pricey and it comes in a (very) small tube...i have to say it's worth your pretty penny. nowadays, i'm not running out to buy $20+ lip products....but i will save up for more of this wonderful gloss!

happy friday!!

most helpful

a few weeks ago, bryson received the "most helpful" award from his teacher. mrs. irwin had called to tell me that b would be getting the award, and she told us that we could tell him or surprise him. josh and i decided that we'd surprise him.

my mom, kel, peytie, josh, hudson, and i were all there to watch him get the award! that morning, when i told him that we were all going to his chapel....he said, "cool. what's so special about chapel?" i kinda ignored the question and he was so thrilled when they called his name!

we are so proud of our boy!!

pilgrimage

i got to spend this past weekend with some of my sisters....sisters in Christ, that is. we stayed at a cabin in green valley lake. we brought tons of (junk) food....we stayed up late...talking, sharing testimonies, and worshiping. we drove into big bear for some delicious pizza....we walked through the cute shops...we slept in...and we ended the weekend with a climb to the top of the hill/mountain behind the cabin.

what a sweet time of fellowship it was for all of us, as we ended beth moore's study (called stepping up). stepping up is a study on the psalms of ascent (psalms 120-134). the study took us on a pilgrimage...a journey. we learned so much about the God we serve. we learned so much about how He desires for us to draw ever closer to Him.

it's funny....i was reluctant to make the climb to the top of that mountain. i hadn't gotten to shower yet that morning....i was sweaty and stinky...and i wasn't very motivated. but, nevertheless, we "hiked" up to the top, with the sun was beating down on us.

once we reached the top....there was a wind that whipped at us. we gathered in a tight circle and we prayed. we thanked God. we praised God. we petitioned Him, as well. being at the top of the mountain that day was symbolic for us...as we had journeyed to the top together. we had pilgrimaged together- both in the study and that day. most of us got emotional during our prayer time. what a sweet time it was....God's creation all around us, tight bonds of friendships that He has formed between us, His wind hitting us, His sun shining down on us. Isn't that just like the Lord??...to give us such meaningful moments. that day and that time together is something i will never forget. thank you, Jesus....for the weekend, for my sisters, and for Your beauty.

chillin' in the cabin....

michele bought and brought us a motherlode cake!

huge....rich....yummy!!!

on our way to big bear, lots of the girls in my car were feeling nauseous....so we stopped for a few minutes!

getting ready for a group shot!

setting the timers...

wendi put this baby headband on, in a darling boutique! isn't she cute?!

leah, lisa, and wendi (at paoli's)

our group photo, at paoli's in big bear

chanel brought her keyboard...and she made each of us a worship booklet! how awesome it was to sing together!

we all shared our testimonies with one another, and michele talked about how pearls are formed through adversity. she brought each of us an oyster with a pearl inside!

can you see my pearl??

i am so thankful for that time away...with some of the most amazing women i know.

God, You are good to me.

oh, how i've missed thee

seriously....where have the past two weeks gone??

i've missed my blog.

things have been crazy busy around here....

and there was no time to sit and blog.

i'm so behind on posting pictures....

i am hoping to get caught up this week!!

anyone still out there? i'm back.....