This morning at 10:10 my dad went home to be with Jesus.

He went peacefully...they said it was as if he had fallen asleep.

Please pray for mom...

My brothers~Jason & Brian...

and my sister Kara.

...but especially for mom...

I can't imagine how she feels...

The man from the funeral home was talking to her and had asked

how long they had been married. Mom replied, "Forever, he's

always been the love of my life and he always will be."

Thank you all for praying~

They are home!

Mom, dad & Kara are finally back

home from Texas.

M.D. Anderson had to fly him back because he wasn't able to

ride in an ambulance or any vehicle for the 14 hour drive

back home.

They got to the house about 3ish Thursday afternoon. It was bittersweet.

We were so glad they were home...but
considering the circumstances...

it wasn't the joyous reunion we had
been anticipating for so long.

Dad has a morphine pump...but he's still in so much pain. He has cancer

in his hip and it hurts if we move him. He has Nasal Pharangeal so the

oxygen masks have been very painful for him to wear. Through a

dear friend~;o} I was able to get my hands on a facial tent and that

seems to work better. He said he likes it better. Due to the amount

of radiation to his head...his skull has softened and it

hurts to be touched.

He still knows who we are and can talk to you. The medication

makes him loopy at times and he talks about stuff that he needs to

get done at work or things that he thinks he forgot to do...I just

agree with him and tell him I will have it taken care of first thing

in the morning.

When I was sitting up with him Thursday night (and I do mean

UP~he has his days and nights mixed up so the longest time he

went without wanting his bed lifted, his mask off and his water bottle

was about 13 minutes) he would look over at me and say "I love you

honey"  I'd say "I know you to daddy...I love you too" Then

he would reply with an " I know you do, I know you do."

We put his hospital bed facing mom's bed so that he can see her

laying down. He would want me to put the bed up as far as it would go

so he could look over at her. When she would look up at him he would

raise his arms and wave to her.

Please pray for mom... Pray hard...It breaks my heart to see

my mom watching him like this...and she's been doing it for months now. 

She doesn't want to lose him and if there were anyway he could be

healed I would want that...but since there isn't a way to heal him on

this earth...I want him to go home to glory.

So, if that's how you want to pray...then pray it...that's what

would be best...

I hope that doesn't sound selfish...'cause believe me, if he

wasn't in pain...I'd rather him be here with mom.

Thank you all...Tracy

~Please keep dad in your prayers~

Please be in prayer for dad. He has been in the hospital since Sunday.

He was having an allergic reaction to some meds and his heart rate

was 176.  He has pneumonia too.

He isn't doing very well...the cancers in combinatin with the

treatments and meds are taking a toll on his body. When we

visited a few weeks ago he only weighed around 113 lbs. He barely

eats or sleeps and he is taking pain medication every few hours.

He has moments where he seems to be lucid and others he

just seems to be staring out in space...the first words he said

when we walked in the door were, "God's still in control."

They have been in Texas for over a year...they have missed

Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays...life really...and my mom

is a big kid when it comes to holidays! She loves them! She

makes a big to-do about decorations, food...and there are

always games to play...and sometimes even prizes! She always
makes enough Christmas candy to share with half of the
state of KY~seriously!

It's almost as if we have put everything 'family' on hold....we

haven't even had our Easter egg hunt, our Thanksgiving Dinner or

our big Christmas get-to-gether from last year yet...My brothers

and I decided we are waiting until they come home.

I just spoke with mom and she is praying about coming home when

they release dad from the hospital. She doesn't really say what

she's thinking or feeling, but I can hear it in her voice. I

can hear that her heart is broken.

I can't even begin to imagine what she's going through...

Please pray for them...pray that mom has peace with the decision

she makes and that we are able to get dad safely home from

Houston, Texas to Mayfield, Ky.

Here are a few pictures from our trip to Texas...

Mom & Kara teaching the kids how to play Bananagrams.

I don't think Ethan liked it too much.

You wouldn't think it would be necessary to post these at a cancer

treatment center would ya?

A picture from the outside...this place is huge!

To give you some idea of how big it is...this picture is part of

the Sky Bridge. It's a mile long walkway that has golf carts that

shuttle from one end to the next.

This place is called 'The Park' it's a huge room with tropical trees and

plants planted everywhere. It's a get-a-way place with chairs and

couches for people to come and relax for a while. At one end

of the park there is a wall of tiles...each tile has the name of a

M.D. Anderson Employee on it that donates part of their

YEARLY salary to the hospital's cancer research.

Isn't that remarkable!?

There are rooms like this set up all through the place...One

area has a row of fountains that go up two or three floors...another

has a huge tree made out of metal...there are piano's set up here

and there, tables with puzzles in every corner and huge fish

tanks with beautiful fish.

I didn't take very many pictures...but it's an awesome place

to see. If for no other reason, but to remind you that you

are human....and that it could be you or I there in that hospital...

looking for a cure...or wheeling our child through those halls

in a wheelchair with tubes and IVs coming out from

under their clothes....trying to smile as everyone walks by

hiding the fact that your heart is being torn out of your

chest as you stand there.

I thank God every day that I am healthy...my children are

healthy...my husband is healthy...sometimes I think we

take that for granted.

Please pray for my family...

Thank you~Tracy

Redneck Sled!

I love it when it snows!

I don't love the mess from wet boots and clothes that
get left all in the garage, kitchen & laundry room,
bathrooms, etc......but I guess that's part of it, huh? (sigh)

Hannah & Kayla playing in the snow.

Since...it usually only snows one good snow a

year here...we've never invested in a sled...we tried a big

tote...it didn't work very well.

So, still hard up for a sled ;o}~the kids made one out of an old

gaming chair...which was perfect!

Ethan makes it look so easy doesn't he?. ;o} (AND for those of you

(with your minds in the gutter) who are wondering~

NO! That isn't his middle finger)

Bethany's trying to master the sled...but I think the sled

won in the end.  ;o}

Seriously, have you ever seen so much camo?

Before they took the back of the chair off it was very hard to hold

on...Here Seth is trying his best not to fall off.

It wasn't long before the boys had an idea...

Now, is it just me? Or does this look a little redneck

(as if the other 2 sleds didn't) HA!

It's a john boat!

I didn't get in this one...I thought it was best for me to sit on the

sidelines, watch & take pictures of everyone else getting

thrown out into the freezing, cold snow ;o} It was about 15

degrees & I was already cold enough!

Here's Josh, Ethan & John Allen giving it a try...

I'm not really sure who this is getting thrown out of the boat...

but it looks like it might have hurt.

Mackenzie & Ethan...I think this was just before they were flung out ;o}

I had so much fun watching everyone get thrown out of the boat...

& I have tons more pictures...AND some of them are quite hilarious...

I think I'm gonna store them away for another day...you never know

when you might need to use them for blackmail some friendly

persuation! :o}~hehehe~I would never!

I know we aren't the only ones who get a little redneck from

time to time...So, I want to know what you have used for

a sled in the past....

No snow where you live? Then maybe a redneck slip-n-slide?