Tribute to Our Troops

Last Saturday night DJ and I went to Eagle Mountain for a Tribute to Our Troops concert at the Silver Lake Amphitheater featuring Josh Gracin and Darryl Worley and Megan Mullins. It was so much fun!! This day was significant because it was the 65th anniversary of D-Day. Before everything started, they had a couple guys parachute down and one had the American flag behind him. I teared up when I saw the flag flying in front of us, and then when we sang the national anthem. (Gets me every time). Then they had a HUGE Air Force plane do a fly by and it was so low it was amazing. Megan Mullins opened the show (she's a rising country star). I've seen Josh Gracin a couple of times and he is really good live. We got to be right in front of the stage the whole time, so it was even better. He sang a new song that he wrote called "I Wanna Make You Cry" ooooo goodness it's one of the sexiest songs I've heard in awhile with a bluesy feel to it. I sure hope it'll be on his new cd! The Mayor of Eagle Mountain showed a couple of slide shows of local military families, and a project at their cemetery that they did. Darryl Worley is such a patriotic man and boy did it show. Everything started at 7:15 and didn't get over til 11:45. After the last performance they shot off a cannon a few times and then had fireworks.

Josh Gracin

The song "The Other Little Soldier" was dedicated to the little boy standing next to him whose dad recently passed away in Iraq. If you haven't heard this song, you should! Definitely teared up during this, too.


During his last song he went off stage and we weren't sure where he went, but then found him out in the crowd! DJ got an awesome shot as when he was coming back up to the stage.

In between the two concerts, they did the Tribute to the Fallen Soldier.

Darryl Worley singing "Have You Forgotten" with some of the local military standing behind him. After the song, he shook all of their hands.

Darryl Worley

On the way to Gama's house we go

I was so worried about flying home with Addie by myself since I get airsick these days. However, I made it through and she was soooo good on the way there and back. Mama was in rehab in Columbus, Ga for the first week we were there. I was staying with my brother Bryan and his wife Sharon and their daughter Kaitlyn. We would go see mama at lunch and dinner so she could rest the other times and not get too worn out. One of the last nights she was there, I got to stay the night with her and that was really good for me. We watched some tv, talked, tried to get some sleep and then at 3 AM we both woke up so I could help her to the restroom and then we talked til about 5:30. It was really tough for her to not hold Addie since she was really weak. She was really concerned about people seeing her this way and with some of her hair shaved off, so we decided that she would stay in Columbus at Bryan's after rehab. Every day she got better! Sharon fixed some of the best food while we were there, and Addie got so spoiled from her aunt and uncle!
At her appointment at Emory the doctor told us that she needs to have radiation to get the remaining 2% out, and that if she chose not to, that the tumor would grow back probably between 2 & 3 years. This was not what she wanted to hear, but it has to be done. She goes back to Emory on the 11th so they can do more tests and make a mold of her skull and then sometime soon she'll begin the radiation that will last 6 1/2 weeks. There's a Lodge that she can stay at in Atlanta to receive that radiation Monday through Friday. She already gets really tired every day so she's not looking forward to the radiation making her extremely tired. We hope that will be the only major side affect.
The weekend before I was to fly back, we took mama to her house and spend my last few days on the farm. I could tell such a HUGE difference in her just from being home. We had lots of visitors and yummy, delicious food brought over!!!
Most of you know of the boy that I placed for adoption in '04 and that I'm really close to that family. So, Saturday the 30th, the adoptive family (Russell-dad, Sherry-mom, Keli-daughter and Nolan) came to visit us. We had such a blast with them and it made mama really excited. They spent Sunday with us as well, and made us some good banana puddin' that's almost sugar free. I can't believe that Nolan is 5, and that he can read sight words. Him and Keli both are hilarious and so cute! I'm so glad they were able to come down and spend so much time with us. I picked the best family for him, truly!!
On the 2nd, my friend Candace picked me up to take me to the airport and when she got out of her car, she locked the doors with the keys and her 1 1/2 yr old boy in there. Needless to say, we got a cop to come open the doors and 45 minutes later, we got him out. By the time we got to leave mama's, we pushin it with the time so I was getting a little nervous about making my flight. But I made it in time :( and got back to Utah. When I left mama was doing really good, but it was still hard for me to leave. I just wanted to do all that I could and be there for her. (Mama-I'm trying my hardest to move back there as soon as I can)
Addie was using mama's walker to get around her room at rehab.

I left the room to help Sharon make dinner, and when I came back Addie had found the chicken fingers and started helping herself.

This Georgia Bulldog chair was outside of Cracker Barrell and if I had the extra money, I would've bought it!

Uncle Bryan and Addie watching tv. (He kinda likes her, she pretty much had him whooped)

Nolan carrying Addie

Mama and Addie

Addie and the air vent

Nolan reading to Mama

More pictures are to come!

Mother's Day

We spent Saturday at the Zoo in Salt Lake for Mom & Me Day. We met up with Krista, Eric and Colten. Addie wasn't really into anything except the peacock when it spread its feathers. We didn't stay very long because there weren't very many animals. Since I've been to different zoos, I wasn't impressed. It was fun to get out of the house though. My gift for Mother's Day was breakfast, the sweetest card from DJ and a fire pit!! I was so excited because I've been wanting one for awhile. We sat out by the fire with Krista and Eric and had the best smores EVER! They introduced us to a new way of making them. You have the fudge striped cookies with chocolate swirl marshmallows and then a reese's cup on top of that. It's heavenly. I don't think I can go back to having them any other way. I did get to talk to mama for a little bit and she sounded pretty good, but was really tired. I can't even begin to describe how much she means to me. She's the best and does whatever she can for her family. She's been the biggest inspiration to me and she's such a fighter. I love you so much mama!!