J-Pouch anastomosis with loop illeostomy

On September 3, Ben underwent his 2nd of 3 operations to officially rid his body of the nasty ulcerative colitis that landed him in this mess in the first place.

I think we both underestimated the magnitude of this particular step in the process and are very grateful now 2 months later that he seems to be returning back to normal.

Ben's belly - the large bowel + the loop illeostomy + J-pouch reservoir + 1 very long scar that will be a forever reminder of what a blessing it is to feel good.
Below is a picture of the appliance that attaches to the illeostomy. He gets to get rid of this officially in December when he will have his 3rd and (hopefully) final procedure.

Welcome Back to Westbrook

Heber started his 2nd year of preschool in September. He was very excited to return back to Westbrook and to all of his buddies from last year. He went in without a hitch and didn't look back to say goodbye.

Okay...so it has been a while

It isn't like we haven't had anything else though to keep us busy.

1. First day of school

2. Another major surgery

3. Two trips across the country (one of which I didn't think I was going to survive)

4. A wedding

5. A chance to finally say goodbye to someone very special

6. And a few times around on a roller coaster


I have proof of all of this in pictures which will soon follow this post.......until then however,

Ask us about APRIL (psstt....click here)

As if I didn't point the camera at him ENOUGH

Heber decided he needed to do his own little photoshoot.

SOCCER

Ever since the day the radiology tech exclaimed to Ben and I that we would be welcoming a little boy to our family I have been looking forward to this. There is something to be said about "pee wee" sports and I was counting the years until Heber would be able to participate.

Tee ball was an instant hit and he is actually quite a good little ball player. He can hit better off a pitch than a tee however and loves to try to outrun the person with the ball as he rounds the bases (he finally figured out how to go from 1st to home in the right sequence after a few games).

Soccer though, as illustrated by the picture below, is a little bit of a different story. This picture may or may not have been taken while the rest of the team was packed around the ball heading toward the goal. I wish you could here him yelling "DECEPTICON MOMMY" as he peered up at the airplane coming in for a landing at the airport down the road.

Eventually he did figure out that there was a game going on and he quickly joined in. He only came off the field crying twice because nobody was sharing the ball with him. I always thought he was the aggressive kid......guess we need to work on that one.

So, here is to soccer and this new adventure in a 4-year old boys life.

And then you find yourself

The other day Ben and I were talking about where we would like to live when all of this is said and done. We could both agree that we wanted to be somewhere closer to "home" to which Heber added, "we are home."

This got me thinking a little about what it means to be HOME. Ben and I call Idaho home. Ohio is the only home Heber has ever known.

We miss the mountains, and blue sky, and dry heat. We miss the sound of the train running through town several times throughout the day and night. We miss a good ride on the 4-wheeler or a day on north beach.

Home however, is more than the familiar walls you grow up in; more than the climate and the landscape around you. Home is being with the people you love.

We miss our family the most. I often find myself feeling bad that Heber can't play with his cousins every day or go to grandpas house for a popcicle or to the drug store to visit grandma. But then I watch his eyes light up as he spots his buddies on the way to primary. I see one of the older men in the ward get down and give him a handshake and a "how are you today buddy." I feel a warm arm wrap around my shoulders and see the smiling faces of those around me, and I realize that Heber is right, we are home. For right now, we are home.

"My best friends"

Tyler, Heber, and Kaleb

Massillon Ward Campout 2009

The day we pulled out of Bear Lake in the U-haul Ben promised me we wouldn't go any further east than Missouri. I was not surprised 2-years later when we loaded up and moved to Ohio.

I am sure we would have had a great experience and made great friends in any place we decided to venture to. I am grateful however that he did not keep that promise to me. This has been a great place to call HOME.

Hey Batter Batter

Take me out to the ball game, take me out with the crowd.

Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks, I don't know if I never get back

Let me root, root, root for the BLUE JAYS (don't know how they ended up with green shirts)

if they don't win its a shame. For its one, two, three strikes you're out at the Old Ball Game.

When the coach first put the helmet on his head we thought he looked like

chicken little...it amazed us to see how small he is next to the majority of his team.

You should have seen all the little green shirts scrambling for the ball each time it was hit off the tee....it looked a little bit more like a wrestling match then a baseball game. Heber watched for the first few hits but he caught on soon enough. After a few catches himself, he pouted and tattled on the kid who caught the ball if it wasn't him. Way to be a good sport Hebe

I was one proud mamma to say the least. Since the time we found out we were having a boy I have been looking forward to this day.

Daddy seemed to enjoy it as well, even if "baseball is lame."

As I was pushing Heber on the swing in the back yard after the game he said to me,

"I had a great time mom.......I did a great job huh"

Yes babe, you did!