Brandon Update

I don't know about this kid of mine. He is already doing wheelies in his wheelchair! We spent 1 1/2 hours in it today. We ran into a friend that went to school with the kids in Sandpoint. He is also recouping from being hit with a IED. He faired much better then Brandon in the area of limb loss. They both lived to tell their story. This young man lost three soldiers in his blast, he was the lucky one. On a good note they are sharing their story right now. Brandon was visited by the PT team today. They layed out what will happen over the next months to get Brandon his legs. Yes they said that Brandon's limb loss is high but they said with hard work he could walk again. Brandon accepts nothing less then walking again. He will be challenged by the short limbs but not in spirit. He is already working out in his bed. It is wonderful to see him smile. Pray for Gods hand in all of this. It won't happen any other way.
Karen and I thank you for your prayers. God Bless you all.

In Christ Doug

Brandon Update

Were moving out of ICU! Going into a step down unit. He got into his wheelchair and went outside too! He smiled and said that its cooler then Baghdad. I say its to muggy and hot! To him its paradise I'm sure. See Prayer works! So don't stop! Thank you to all. This is the e-mail of David Osgood. He is the unit medic that saved Brandon. If any would like to send him a e-mail here it is david.m.osgood@us.army.mil


In Christ Doug

Happy Birthday Lizzie!

Happy 4th Birthday to Lizzie! It has been amazing watching you grow up and discover new things. I love to see things through your eyes! Your smile melts our hearts, your laughter fills the room with happiness, your creativity is amazing, and your hugs are priceless. You are very special to us and we love you very much!

Weekend

It was a busy weekend! We did some geocaching and hit cache number 100. We found cache number 100 down by Memorial Field, in our old neighborhood, at a place we spent many hours in the summer, enjoying the lake, riding bikes, and just enjoying the area. We started caching last August, and it's been so much fun. My mom said she thinks we are addicted. I think I would agree, but it's a good addiction, at least. It gets us out walking and exploring. It has also led us to places we never would have gone or known existed if we hadn't been geocaching. We walked around Sportsman's Warehouse today looking for ideas for new cache containers and did find a couple ideas. Now, we just have to get them planted. We just placed our second hide this past week.

Mom's flowers are very beautiful right now. She has a sea of purple in the front flower bed.

Early Saturday evening, we went fishing at Sunnyside, or should I say that we practiced casting. I did catch two small ones, and Lizzie caught one, but that was all we caught. Hannah was with us in our boat, so I was helping her with her 'casting.' I put a big bobber on her little Nemo pole and kept throwing it out for her to 'wind in.' She doesn't reel, she winds. I was smart enough NOT to put a lure on the pole of a two year old who was determined to throw the line out herself. I thought her whole pole would end up in Pend Oreille, but it made it back to the truck at the end of the night. It did end up in my eye a couple times, but we all survived. We had hundreds of geese fly over us while we were out there, and one flock had 62 geese in it. What a joyful noise as they flew over and were all honking.

Sunday brought many showers and storms, and a 4 year old's birthday party. I can't believe Lizzie is already celebrating her 4th birthday. We had a princess party and there were enough presents for four 4 year olds!! Her mommy made her a beautiful cake, and we enjoyed a great dinner of smoked turkey that Vance smoked in his smoker and great family time. After the party, Thane and dad watched Flags of Our Fathers, while mom and I decided it was a bit too intense to watch before going to bed, especially if we wanted to sleep. I do plan to read the book, however. I did watch the last 20 minutes of the movie, and it was pretty emotional.

Monday morning was very wet and extremely cold! BRRRR, 40 degrees! The whole day was chilly and there was fresh snow on all the mountain tops. It sure didn't feel much like global warming to me!!! However, it sounds like we will be hitting 90 by the end of the week. Wow, my poor garden is going to be so confused. Our front yard is coming up really nice and hopefully by the time we celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary in three weeks, we will have a beautiful, lush green yard.

Memorial Day Update

Hey there

Well we are always there for our children aren't we? We could not imagine the loss of a child. We are spared from dealing with such a loss. Now it is a daily emotion to stand before a son that I can't help. He journeys this road not by himself but alone in the pain. I can only pray for his ability to accept his pain and condition. He is a great warrior and son. I am blessed to still have him here although at times, I feel guilty. I look around and see the living memorials of war and wars past. These men are so young with a lifetime to deal with their physical conditions, not to forget the mental war that rages on inside. Brandon is challenged everyday with these emotions. Along with the loss of his legs. The only thing that I can remind him of are the countless lives that he has saved because of his courage to travel down roads that are by design death to all who travel. This is our military, brave, honorable,loyal,compassionate,courageous and they are Americans made up many backgrounds and races. I am so glad I have met so many of these men and women. So I know that my son will walk proud and with a smile because he has saved lives. His pain someday will be understood as a reminder to those that gave their lives for freedom.

In Christ Doug

Update on Brandon

From this morning~Brandons pain is still high. Many of the meds don't work. The staff is trying very hard to help get it under control. Many of the meds take some time to work. Others just don't work. So we pray for mercy and grace. It is hard to see people suffer. I see soo many people daily. It is hard to watch sometimes. My heart beats and reminds me of just who I am. I am a child of God I serve Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I pray that my son would reach to Him. I know his pain would be changed to that of peace. I think of you all often and pray for your peace also.

In Christ Doug

This evening~Seems like it has been a better day for him. He has been resting for the better part of the day. Hopefully soon things will turn towards the better for him and others here. You can't imagine the scope of the wounds that are being treated here. The point is that the medics are doing a wonderful job at getting these guys home. Now we have to do are part and be ready for them all.

In Christ Doug

Brandon Update

Brandon will remain in ICU until he can be taken off the meds that effect his heart and breathing rates. They are slowly increasing his meds that have helped others with they're break through pain. Phantom pain is the hardest pain to get a handle on since they really can't pin point its origin. So we try meds that have been used in helping others with they're pain. I hope that soon it will start to work for Brandon. Sometimes sooner for some and for others much longer. Lets keep on praying for him to reach out to God for his healing of his pain. We are truly grateful for your prayers.

In Christ Doug

Thank you Brandon, for your service to this country. Thank you for giving of yourself to defend my freedoms. You are a true hero!

Remembrance and Thanks

It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag. - Charles M. Province

The story of America's quest for freedom is inscribed on her history in the blood of her patriots. ~Randy Vader

The patriot's blood is the seed of Freedom's tree. ~Thomas Campbell

We have enjoyed so much freedom for so long that we are perhaps in danger of forgetting how much blood it cost to establish the Bill of Rights. ~Felix Frankfurter

War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. - John Stuart Mills

If you are ashamed to stand by your colors, you had better seek another flag. ~Author Unknown

Those who won our independence believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty. ~Louis D. Brandeis

Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it. ~Thomas Paine

Thank you to those who paid the ultimate price in keeping this country free. You are not forgotten. Thank you to the many men and woman who have fought over the years to give us the continued freedom that we so enjoy. Thank you to those who continue to fight for this country. You are all appreciated and thought of with honor and respect.

Examples

Whether or not we realize it, each of us has within us the ability to set some kind of example for people. Knowing this, would you rather be the one known for being the one who encouraged others, or the one who inadvertently discouraged those around you? ~Josh Hinds

We are all teachers, whether we think we are or not. There is always someone watching us, looking at our lives and how we respond to situations. If you are a parent, your kids learn from you how to respond to life situations and often mirror that response. I have worked with teens for 17 years, and I know they do the same to me. We all need to look at ourselves and see if we respond or react when life challenges come about.

Every day you teach people about God. You may teach Truth or you may teach falsehood; either way you teach. You teach others that God is faithful or that he can’t be trusted, and you do that by reflecting faith in God, or by behaving as if he can’t be trusted.

We become teachers when we tell, show, reflect how God is working in our lives, and we become teachers when we respond, act, walk as if Jesus himself were living through us. By watching you, others will see what “Christ in you” looks like in another human being.

You need to know God’s Word before you can teach it through study or by living it. By hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating on the words of Christ, they’ll take root in your heart, and this will make you wise.

God’s wisdom over conventional wisdom – Too often we look to the world’s conventional wisdom when we’re seeking answers, yet the Truth is found only in God’s wisdom.

When others look at your life what do they see? Love, acceptance, joy, peace or hate, judgement, unrest, and chaos. You are an open book to each person you come in contact with; what are they reading about you?

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful.
Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him. Colossians 3:15b-17

And the Scriptures were written to teach and encourage us by giving us hope. Romans 15:4

Found While Geocaching

This gave us a good laugh! Anyone else confused?

Brandon Update

Brandon is in ICU. His meds are at the level where he needs that constant watch. We had sushi tonight. He has requested a steak. I'll cook one for him when he moves out of ICU.His wheel chair was brought to the room today. His eyes were as if he was looking at his first car. In many ways it is. So he looks to his freedom again. We are walking forward. Keep on praying. It works!
In Christ Doug