Part 3- Visit to Kansas

We stopped at a cool rest stop to eat and stretch our legs.

So cute!

Grandma and Gracie reading.

The 3 bandits. Lydia, Harper and Marley spent the whole time

stealing each others pacifiers and sippy cups.

Celeste painting Ella's hand.

We painted the office to surprise Mom. I say we but I really mean my siblings:) The kids put their hand prints on the cabinets to remind Grandma and Grandpa that they love them.

For the babies, we did foot prints instead of hands.

Ethan's just along for the ride.

I love this picture!

Charley is jumping to Ben before they hit the road for a 15 hour drive.

Ella's funny face.

Cute baby cousins!

Colette, Ethan and Brooklyn

I love how Colette and Ethan are holding hands!

Gracie loves her Grandpa Sessions!


Before we went camping (previous post)my Mom called to tell me that she was going in for surgery to remove a tumor. She was very calm and said it was not a huge deal and they would keep us posted. I got a call from my Dad the next day saying that the 2 tumors that they removed from her ovaries were cancer. Needless to say I had a tough time sleeping that night. It doesn't matter how old you are your Mom is still your Mom.

So we came home from camping a day early and prepared to drive to Kansas. All of my siblings were there except for Dan who was in Iraq. But he got a temporary leave for 2 weeks and is now home with his wife and beautiful girls. He is a huge help to my mom because this is his area of expertise. So it's nice to have someone to answer all our questions. We have a lot of them!

Our stay in Kansas was bitter sweet. There were a lot of tears, but we really enjoyed seeing each other and feeling the extra love and support. The kids loved playing together and Gracie is constantly asking to see her cousins.

We pray that things go smoothly as Mom undergoes chemo therapy this summer. She has a great attitude and she's feeling optimistic. As usual she is more concerned about her family than herself. She's a wonderful Mom and Grandma and we hope to be a support to her. The kids and I are looking forward to visiting again next week while Douglas is at his paintball D-day. We'll keep everyone posted and ask you to keep her in your prayers.