WE ARE HOME!!!

Hello Everyone!!

We arrived home in Elkhart about 30 min. ago!! Mrs. Nelda happened to be passing by & stopped to help us unload ~ bless her heart! Cambry is feeling a little worn out, but she is in no pain at the moment!! Such a blessing! We left Kansas City this morning about 6:15am. Stopped in Wichita at Wal-Mart. We had Cambry's hair washed & blow dried at the salon there. We put her in a wheel chair & took her to the toy isle to spend a little of her Christmas money (burning a whole in her pocket!) :) Uncle Dusty & Aunt Shelby are bringing Shelby & Rhys to Elkhart this evening! We haven't been together much this week, so we are looking very forward to some "family time"!! Thank you so very much Uncle Dusty & Aunt Shelby for making this possible, sooner rather than later!! We will be posting some of the pictures from our trip very soon ~ so check back often!! Thanks to everyone for your prayer & support ~ our love to each of you!!

Headed For The Hotel

Shelby Posting:
Mom, Dad, & Cambry just left the hospital and are on their way to the hotel. They put Cambry on liquid medicine and she is doing very well!! Me, Rhys, GanMom, & GanPa are in Spearman. Last night we got home about eleven. Uncle Dusty, Aunt Shelby, Uncle Nick, & Aunt Lindsay are coming up to Spearman today. There all going to spend the night tonight. Thanks again for your wonderful prayers and support!!

Leaving Children's Mercy Hospital

Hello Everyone! Dr. Schwend just came by & visited with us for about half an hour. He is so pleased with this whole process!! We are free to go now! Grady is packing up things & we are about to get Cambry dressed. We will try to post from the hotel later today! There are simply no words to explain how we feel & how grateful we are to everyone involved!! Our love! :)

Going Home!!

Cambry's ortho team came by about 10 min. ago ~ they are VERY pleased & we are going to be released today!!! Our God is so GOOD!!! They are starting the process & we will post again ASAP!! We will stay in Kansas City tonight at a hotel & then head to Elkhart tomorrow morning! Thank you ALL for your constant prayers & support!! :)

Cambry Update - 12/26/08 #1

Heather posting:

Good Morning to all!! Shelby, Rhys, Mom, & Dad made it to Spearman last night around 11pm (I think that's right ~ Grady talked to them last!!). Thank you all so much for your travel prayers! Cambry is doing AWESOME!! Grady & I feel more comfortable with her possible release today. She is off all the IV's fluids & pain pumps. She still has 2 IV sites left in place, just in case. She has tolerated her oral antibiotics very well & the oral pain medicine is working great!! Once again ~ the mighty power of prayer!! Praise God!! She rested very well all night! Hopefully our next post will contain news of release!! Our love!! :)

Cambry Update - 12/25/08 #2

Heather Posting:

Hello! Dr. Schwend came by about 30 min. ago & told us she was doing so VERY WELL that we could go to a hotel tomorrow morning!!! He told us that typically spine patients are kept for 5 to 7 days, but she is progressing wonderfully & he sees no reason to keep her longer than necessary!! The hospital is helping to get us a room at one of the hotels downtown so we don't have to go so far. We will stay Friday night there. Depending on how she does & how comfortable mom & dad are with traveling, we can start home on Sat. morning!!! Praise God!!! They will start her transfer to oral medication shortly. Shelby, Rhys, Mom, & Dad are coming to the hospital for lunch & a visit. After, they will be headed for Spearman. Please pray for travel mercies!! Hope Santa was good to all of you!!

Merry Christmas& Cambry Update #1 - 12/25/08

Heather Posting:

Good Morning Everyone! We did have a little better night! She just doesn't want me to leave the side of the bed ~ not even to sleep. She rested very well & I definitely got more rest than the night before!! All is great! Today we will be on oral pain meds only to see how that goes. They will not remove the 2 IV's she has left, just yet. Please pray hard that these work for her!! It did feel a little like Christmas morning here ~ she received a big bag of gifts, as did every child in this hospital!! Grady brought up a few he had hidden for Cambry & I ~ that really surprised us both! (This all happened about 4:00am ~ couldn't sleep!!) Christmas has been a little different this year, but so far so good!! We have been so blessed this Christmas!! We wish each of you a wonderful day!! A very MERRY CHRISTMAS from our family to yours!!!

Cambry Update -12/24/08 #2

Grady & Heather posting:

Hello Everyone! Wonderful news ~ we are in a regular room!!!!! (5th - Room #11) They began moving her at noon & we just got that whole process completed about 30 min. ago! It was quite the ordeal. She was in ALOT of pain by the time we got her into her new bed. She has since settled down with new medicine & resting! Terrell & Nelda are with her so Mom & Dad could "get away" for a min. or two. We should be able to rest a little better this evening! We ask that you keep Pastor Terrell & Nelda in your prayers as they travel home tonight!! Thank you all for your continued prayers, emails, & phone calls!! Lots of love to each of you!!! :)

Cambry Update 12/24/08

Happy Christmas Eve to All!!

This is Heather posting:
We had a pretty good night - considering it's PICU!! We did get some much needed rest. Shelby & Rhys are with Mom & Dad at the hotel so that both Grady & I can stay at Cambry's bedside. Bless you Mom & Dad!! Our wonderful pastor & his wife have also been her since Monday. We so appreciate Mom, Dad, Terrell, & Nelda for their support, hugs, patience, words, & their presence here with our family!! We love you ALL!! She has been quite nauseated. No fun!! But pain is being managed very well & Dr. Schwend said he would probably move us to a room later today!! Shelby & Rhys are anxious to see her!! Please pray for their patience ~ it's a little to scary to see her this way so we have elected to not let them go back to PICU. We want to thank each of you for the MANY prayers you have lifted on our behalf ~ we are CERTAIN that she's progressing so very well because of them!! Our love!! :)

Cambry Update # 3

Shelby Posting:
5:20
Cambry is now in ICU. She is doing very good. She is having a little problem breathing how they want her to. The doctor said she should be in a normal room tomorrow.
Thanks agian for you prayers and support.

Cambry Update #2

Shelby Posting:
12:45 p.m.
Dr came out and talked to Mom & Dad. Said everything went well. Put seven staples in Cambry's spine. The only problem was they knicked a disc and had to wait to get the bleeding stopped. Took an X-ray to make sure everything was perfect. Closed her up and at 12:31 she went to recovery. Should be there about an hour and then will be moved to ICU.
Thanks for your prayers and please continue to pray for speedy recovery.

Cambry Update

Shelby Posting:
Got up at 4:00 am. Left for hospital at 5:20. Arrived at Children's Mercy Hospital at 5:55. Kissed Cambry bye at 8:05 as they wheeled her to surgery. Dr. Val came out for update at 9:20 and said they had just started the surgery. Said one and one half hours was normal for prep time. Said she was doing GREAT. Next update would be about 11:00.

God has been so good -- the weather has been bitterly cold, no precip at all. We all had safe travel and everyone stayed well.

Thanks for your prayers and please continue to pray her thru surgery.

Cambry Update - 12/22/08

Hello everyone! We arrived in Kansas City yesterday about 4pm. Our hotel is having problems with their internet service, so we could not post yesterday. We are currently at the Hospital for more pre-op tests. We have our last appt. at 1pm. We have to be back here tomorrow morning at 6am. Surgery will begin at 7:30am. Shelby & Grady will keep this updated tomorrow. Once again, THANK YOU for your prayers!! Love to all!

Cambry's "Hi"

Well ~ the 2nd attempt at video posting finally worked!! Cambry's being a little crazy (or a lot?) & Shelby's trying out her new camera that she received from Grady's family for Christmas!! Just couldn't pass up letting you see Cambry!! This will be our last post until we arrive in Kansas City. We are leaving tomorrow(Sunday) morning. No ~ we are NOT packed!! We would like to say thank you to our family, our church family, & our friends in Elkhart & Spearman for your unending support & prayers!! Check back here for further updates! :)

Mrs. Brandi's Piano Recital

Mrs. Brandi, our WONDERFUL piano teacher, held her annual Christmas Recital last night!! Each of her students played & was amazing!! We so enjoy hearing them play! Thank you Mrs. Brandi for all your hard work & dedication to our children!!

Cambry's School Christmas Program

Cambry & Rhys had their Grade School Christmas Program this week. Rhys was sick & could not attend. Cambry's 2nd Grade Class did an Elvis Medley. They did a great job!!

THANK YOU EMS STUCO!!!

Shelby's in 5th grade this year & she was elected to the Elkhart Middle School Student Council (EMS STUCO). (This happened before this blog was created!) On Tuesday evening one of her STUCO leaders, Mrs. Cayton & her daughter, Tori, brought Cambry a snowman & a card full of cash for our expenses!!! And they did all of this without Shelby knowing ~ she was as stunned as we were! WOW!! There are simply no words to describe how we felt!! No words adequate to say how much we appreciate their thoughtfulness & concern. This group of Shelby's peers & teachers moved our family to tears with their act of kindness!!! We simply cannot say THANK YOU enough!! God Bless each of you!!

Church Christmas Program

Shelby played "Jingle Bells" on her flute with 3 other kids her age. Cambry played "Silent Night" on the piano. Their choir sang lots of Christmas carols & sounded GREAT!! Such a blessing!!

Shelby's new catching gear from Grandpa Richard!

SANTA CAME EARLY!!

Last week, Grady made a call to Santa & explained that because of Cambry's surgery, we will be in Kansas City on Christmas Day. Low & behold, he decided to come early!! Saturday morning, under our tree we found cards with cash in them!! We quickly headed to Amarillo for a wonderful shopping spree! Pictures of the purchases are soon to follow!

$$$ MONEY $$$

Special Family Photos

Pop & the kids

The Girls!

The Guys!

"Thanks-Christmas"!! Due to Cambry having back surgery on Dec. 23rd, we rolled Thanksgiving & Christmas into one this year! We had a BLAST!!

Pop reads the Christmas Story.

Shelby in her new gaming chair!

Rhys says WOW!!

Cambry is excited!!

Grady made me cry with his thoughtful gifts!! Honey, you are the BEST!!

Rhys & Gan-Pa

Shelby had a slumber party last night! These are her friends, all dressed & ready for our "fashion show"!! They had a blast -- yes we are tired!!

Shelby's 11!!!

Hello!! This is our first post!